Defendant Accused of Taking Part in Violence on Lower West Terrace
WASHINGTON - A Michigan man was arrested today on felony and misdemeanor charges for his actions during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. His actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the presidential election.
Luke Michael Lints, 27, of Traverse City, Michigan, is charged in a criminal complaint filed in the District of Columbia with civil disorder, a felony, and related misdemeanor offenses. He was arrested in Traverse City. He is to make his initial court appearance today in the Western District of Michigan.
According to court documents, on Jan. 6, Lints was among rioters who repeatedly engaged in violence against law enforcement officers guarding the Capitol. Lints participated in the confrontation with law enforcement officers in the Lower West Terrace and tunnel areas of the Capitol. He entered the tunnel on the Lower West Terrace at approximately 3:10 p.m., making his way towards the front of the police line. He held a police shield and pushed back against law enforcement officers. At one point, Lints used a police shield to prevent a law enforcement officer from closing a door to protect himself from the rioters. Lints also was part of the crowd directly outside the tunnel as a Metropolitan Police Department officer was being assaulted by rioters.
This case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan.
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Detroit Field Office and its Traverse City Resident Agency, and the FBI’s Washington Field Office, which identified Lints as #261 on its seeking information photos. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.
In the 17 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 800 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including over 250 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.
A complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
