The FBI on Wednesday arrested a funeral home owner for his alleged actions in the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol riots, such as spraying an officer with insecticide and assaulting journalists.
Peter G. Moloney, 58, of Bayport, New York, is facing a litany of charges, including assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers, civil disorder, and assault by striking, among others, the FBI said.
Peter Moloney, of Moloney Family Funeral Homes in Lake Ronkonkoma, N.Y., rides his Harley Davidson hearse from the Tombstone Hearse Co. of Alum Bank, Pa., in New York, May 24, 2007. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)
He was released on a $100,000 bond after an initial court appearance, according to a spokesperson for the federal prosecutors’ office in New York.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Moloney Family Funeral Homes for comment.
Dan Moloney, his brother and co-owner of the funeral home, told The Associated Press that the “alleged actions taken by an individual on his own time are in no way reflective of the core values” of the business, “which is dedicated to earning and maintaining the trust of all members of the community of every race, religion and nationality.”
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An FBI agent wrote in court papers that Peter Moloney appears to have come to the Capitol “prepared for violence,” with protective eyewear, a helmet and a can of insecticide — wasp, hornet & yellow jacket killer. Moloney was seen at the Capitol with a colleague, who authorities did not identify publicly.
Video shows him spraying the insecticide at officers who were desperately trying to beat back the angry mob and protect the Capitol, the agent wrote.
A photo of Peter Moloney at the Jan. 6 protests as provided in court documents. (Fox News)
Authorities say video also shows Peter Moloney participating in an attack on an Associated Press photographer.
Moloney grabbed the AP photographer’s camera and pulled, causing the photographer to stumble down the stairs, the agent wrote. Moloney was then seen “punching and shoving” the photographer before other rioters pushed the photographer over a wall, the agent wrote.
Authorities say he also grabbed another media member’s camera, causing that journalist to stumble down the stairs.
Moloney made his first court appearance Wednesday in the Eastern District of New York.
More than 1,000 people have been charged with federal crimes in the Jan. 6 Capitol riots. Authorities continue to regularly make arrests more than two years later. Authorities are still working to identify a slew of rioters seen on camera storming the Capitol or engaging in violence.
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Nearly 600 of them have pleaded guilty to riot-related charges, while more than 100 others have been convicted by judges or juries. More than 500 have been sentenced, with over half getting terms of imprisonment ranging from seven days to 18 years.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
