After one of his undergraduate fraternity mates tipped off the FBI, an Oklahoma man was detained last week for his suspected role in the U.S. Capitol violence.
Levi Roy Gable, 36, was arrested in Tulsa on Thursday and charged with four misdemeanor counts of illegally entering the Capitol and participating in disruptive behavior on Jan. 6, 2021.
Gable’s fraternity mate from roughly 15 years earlier informed the FBI in the days following the violence, according to an FBI affidavit. He said he saw a series of videos on Gable’s Facebook page that seemed to be taken from inside the Capitol.
According to the FBI, Gable stated in one post, “I was one of the first people to make our way into the US Capitol Building.” “The first protesters to enter the building were protesting Vice President Mike Pence‘s assertion that he would not stand with the American people and fight the results of the 2020 presidential election that had been rigged. Anyone who examines the allegations of election fraud objectively, assuming they are not looking at fake news or social media, will find unmistakable proof.”
Former President Donald Trump’s supporters besieged the Capitol in an attempt to prevent Congress from certifying the election, fueled by his allegations that the 2020 election was rigged. Pence was chastised by Trump supporters after he refused to join the effort. Several rioters were heard chanting for his execution at the Capitol.
Gable denied ever stepping into the Capitol during an FBI interview on Jan. 21, 2021, according to the affidavit. He did, however, admit to traveling to Washington, D.C. on January 5 and attending a rally on January 6, which preceded the riot.
The FBI claims to have discovered many CCTV recordings that appear to show Gable inside the building. Gable allegedly told the FBI that he erased his own Facebook posts after hearing that rallygoers on January 6 were being “harassed.”
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According to The Oklahoman, Gable was released after promising to pay $10,000 if he fails to appear in court again.
Over 800 people have been detained for charges relating to the Capitol breach last year in nearly all 50 states, including over 250 people charged with assaulting or hindering police enforcement.
Thousands of tips have been received by the FBI, many of which are linked to rioters’ social media activity, and the investigation is still ongoing.