The MAGA rioter who was photographed swinging from the balony of the Senate chamber during the Capitol riot has been released from jail.
Josiah Benjamin Colt, 34, of Boise, Idaho, surrendered to FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force at the Ada County Jail on Tuesday afternoon, saying it was the right thing to do.
He offered a public apology Wednesday upon his release saying, 'I apologize. I do not condone the violence that happened there.'
He is federally charged with knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds. Both of his charges are federal misdemeanors.
Under his release conditions he agreed to wear a location monitor, to not possess any guns or weapons, and he must stay at least 1,000 feet away from the Idaho Statehouse and the James A. McClure Federal Building, a judge ruled.
Idaho MAGA rioter Josiah Benjamin Colt, 34, of Boise, Idaho, who swung from the balcony of the Senate chamber during last week's Captiol riot, was released from jail Wednesday
Colt pictured after he was released from Ada County Jail. Under his release conditions he agreed to location monitoring, to not posess any guns or weapons, and he must stay at least 1,000 feet away from the Idaho Statehouse and the James A.McClure Federal Building, a judge ruled
In the January 6 riot Colt was identified as the man who swung from the Senate balcony
Colt is pictured here after jumping down from the balcony onto the floor of the Senate chamber, running towards the Vice President's chair at the head of the room
In a hearing at 11.15am Colt agreed to waive his preliminary hearing in the case.
Prosecutor Heather Patricco said 'the government is not seeking detention' for Colt before his trial as long as he agrees to follow a long list of pretrial conditions.
He's due back in court on January 19.
Colt appeared serious as he left jail, wearing a white shirt, black vest and a face mask.
He spoke to reporters expressing remose, but insisted he didn't do anything wrong.
'I didn't hurt anybody, didn't take anything, didn't break anything. My intention was just to go there to have my voice heard. I do love America. Like I said I apologize. I do not condone the violence that happened there. It is tragic, it breaks my heart about what that turned into,' Colt said as per KTVB.
He is charged federally with knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds. Both of his charges are federal misdemeanors
He was greeted by an unknown man and they shared a hug after he was released from jail
Colt kept his head down as he left jail. He's due back in court on January 19
He spoke to reporters expressing remorse, but insisted he didn't do anything wrong. 'I didn't hurt anybody, didn't take anything, didn't break anything. My intention was just to go there to have my voice heard. I do love America. Like I said I apologize. I do not condone the violence that happened there. It is tragic, it breaks my heart about what that turned into,' Colt said
He was a part of the Trump-inspired mob that stormed the Capitol in a bid to stop lawmakers from certifying the presidential election results. Overall in the siege a total of five people died.
'I went there because I love America and my intention was just to have my voice heard along with a lot of other people. For me I just wanted my voice heard about having fair elections, and yeah, it turned into something that really tragic and that I did not want to happen at all,' he added.
An FBI affidavit said photos of Colt brazenly dangling from the Senate chamber’s balcony coupled with his posts on social media, prove he participated in the attempted insurrection.
'I just wanted my voice heard about having fair elections, and yeah, it turned into something that really tragic and that I did not want to happen at all,' Colt said
An FBI affidavit said photos of Colt brazenly dangling from the Senate chamber’s balcony coupled with his posts on social media, prove he participated in the attempted insurrection
The affidavit notes that a video shared on Facebook shows Colt claiming 'he was the first person to sit in the House Speaker’s chair and calls House Speaker Nancy Pelosi a traitor. The defendant appears to be mistaken as he was also photographed in the seat reserved for the vice president, and not Speaker Pelosi.'
In the video Colt uploaded on social media shortly after the Capitol riot he defended his actions, saying he didn’t injure anyone when he broke in.
Colt, who bragged on social media after the rampage saying 'I'm all over the news now' (pictured above), says he didn't cause any damage and claims he told other protesters that the chamber was 'a sacred place'
Colt pictured January 6 during the riot at the Vice President's chair minutes after the chamber had been evacuated
'I didn’t hurt anybody in there, yeah I did sit in Nancy Pelosi’s seat. She shouldn’t be there, she doesn’t represent the American people,' Colt said in the clip.
Colt is represented by Boise lawyer Chuck Peterson who defended Randy Weaver, a former American Green Beret known for his role in the Ruby Ridge standoff in Idaho, and terrorism suspect Fazliddin Kurbanov, an Uzbek national who plotted attacks at US military bases.
If convicted Colt could face a combined sentence of a year and a half behind bars.
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