Two men from southern Illinois have been arrested on charges related to their conduct during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.
The U.S. Attorney for Southern Illinois reports 37-year-old Justin LaGesse and 36-year-old Theodore Middendorf, both from McLeansboro, are charged in a criminal complaint filed in the District of Columbia.
According to court documents, LaGesse illegally entered the U.S. Capitol building through a broken window next to the Senate Wing Door. He then helped Middendorf to get in through the same broken window. They eventually exited the Capitol through the South Door.
They then made their way to the north side of the building where the two men approached a large window and used their flagpoles to strike the window, damaging it in several places.
The Architect of the Capitol determined the window struck by both Middendorf and LaGesse suffered over $41-thousand dollars in damages.
LaGesse and Middendorf were arrested by the FBI in Illinois and will make their initial appearance in the Southern District of Illinois.
