INDIANAPOLIS — An Indiana man is facing felony charges after being arrested for allegedly participating in the Jan. 6, 2021 breach of the U.S. Capitol.
53-year-old David Scott Kuntz of Elizabeth, Harrison County, was officially charged with a felony offense of obstruction of an official proceeding and a misdemeanor charge of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds and disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds.
“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 2020 presidential election,” the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia said.
Kuntz was arrested Thursday in the Hoosier State by the FBI after a lengthy investigation into his role in the events that unfolded in the nation’s capital that day.
An investigation was launched after detectives learned of a Facebook messenger group chat that had engaged in several discussions centered around a “civil war” and the urgency of banding together to bring a stop to election fraud. The group also allegedly mentioned the need to move to encrypted platforms to evade detection for planning purposes.
It was determined that Kuntz was an active member of this online chat group and several others.
Investigators said they also found evidence connecting Kuntz with a “Three Percenter” militia. The Anti-Defamation League describes Three Percenters as a part of the militia government that supports the idea of a small number of patriots protecting Americans from the tyranny of an overreaching government.
Since then, Kuntz has made an appearance in the Southern District of Indiana for the preliminary charges.
Kuntz is alleged to have visited Washington, D.C. to participate in a rally that was being held on Jan. 6, 2021, to support former President Donald Donald Trump’s rally to support his case to retain the presidency for a second consecutive term.
A large congregation of Trump supporters had gathered in the capitol to protest the certification of Joe Biden’s victory in the November general election due to false accusations that the election had been stolen from then-President Trump.
According to court documents, Kuntz reportedly arrived in the capitol with a “black tactical vest, with a red and white reaper image on the back.”
Open-source video footage reportedly showed Kuntz near the Upper West Terrace of the Capitol grounds shortly after it had been breached by rioters around 2:42 p.m. that day, according to court documents. A short while later, court documents say Kuntz called out “F*** the police!” as rioters poured into the Parliamentarian Door near the Upper West Terrace outside the Senate Wing Door.
Investigators found a Facebook post where Kuntz had allegedly indicated his intentions to participate in the breach of the U.S. Capitol. The social media was posted on Dec. 14, 2020. The full post is copied below:
“This is Reaper. January the 20th in Washington D.C. is our day they will see we are not playing anymore we are going fully armed. No more fucken games guy’s you are in this 100% or your out and be a couch keyboard patriot we go in numbers they will not be able to do shit to us you must not be scared and be ready to not go home if something goes down you must start making a big stand no more rules this is our country no there’s if you are in then say you are in and mean it no i will be there and not show up tell all groups you no to be thete in force. Tell all guy’s no fucken around on this time to do what we have been training for.”
Court docs say Kuntz later signaled his plans to travel to Washington, D.C. on Jan. 6 instead of Jan. 20, 2021.
As part of their criminal investigation, investigators looked into multiple encrypted chat groups that Kuntz was a member of. One of those encrypted chats was known as the “Coalition of the Unknown”, which was registered to Telegram Messenger, a messaging app that provides users with encrypted end-to-end chats and messages. Kuntz was one of the administrators for the private chat group, court documents said.
Court documents show Kuntz inquiring to other users what they were planning to do in the new year. Portions of that conversation have been copied below:
Kuntz: “Are you still going on the 6th to D.C.”
An unidentified user responded: “Groups over here are talking about it now. The 6th is when they count the electoral votes. Republican Senators and Congressmen will be objecting to the votes, this is where things can change.”
Kuntz: “Yes but i do believe thats when s*** will get crazy what you think.”
The other user: “It will get nuts if the vote is sent to the House to vote and the People’s vote is considered null and void.”
In another exchange of messages, Kuntz referenced a tweet from former President Trump previewing his Jan. 6 rally in the capitol.
An unidentified user responded and said, “Y’all wanna do it. Ask your self. Are you really ready. This is not for the faint of heart.”
Kuntz responded, “Good he does need us im going armed period.” He added, “alot of groups are going in hot.”
On Feb. 3, 2021, Kuntz was interviewed by the FBI where he allegedly admitted that he did travel to Washington, D.C., and “was present in the area of the U.S. Capitol building on January 6, 2021,” according to court documents.
Kuntz allegedly told investigators that he did not enter the Capitol building and displayed an image showing that he was apparently hundreds of yards away from the Capitol building.
Kuntz later told the FBI during an interview that he was a member of the Three Percenters and presented a patch and commemorative coin to the agents, court documents said. Kuntz identified the militia group as “peacekeepers,” and said that they would regularly meet and exercise during training.
A few months later, Kuntz was interviewed at a Trump rally where investigators said he admitted to a CNN reporter that he was present at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 and that he was a Three Percenter.
The reporter had asked Kuntz if he thought that the violence that erupted on Jan. 6 was “a bit of a stain on his (former President Donald Trump) presidency.”
Kuntz replied,” No, I don’t. I don’t think so. I was — I was there.”
The reporter responded and asked if Kuntz was at the capitol that day.
“Yeah, we was there,” Kuntz replied. Didn’t go in. Didn’t do none of that stuff. I don’t believe in tearing up the capitol.”
Kuntz subsequently said that there could be more violence in the near future, stating, “I honestly believe it’s coming.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section prosecuted Kuntz’ case. The Indianapolis, Louisville and Washington FBI field offices investigated the case. Additionally, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana assisted in the investigation.
Since the events of Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,300 individuals from nearly all 50 states have been charged for their roles in the breaching of the U.S. Capitol. Of that total, more than 460 individuals have been charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement.
