Facebook posts lead FBI to arrest Northampton man in U.S. Capitol riots

A 68-year-old Northampton man is the latest Bucks County resident facing federal charges related to the Jan. 6 riots at the Capitol in Washington, D.C.

Churchville resident Gary Edwards was arrested Tuesday on charges including entering a restricted building, disorderly conduct and disruption of official business.

The FBI received a tip in February that Edwards was among those who entered the Capitol building on the day of the riots. The tip included screenshots of Facebook posts from Edward’s wife defending her husband. Those posts later were deleted. 

Edwards' wife wrote in the posts that there was a “small group” of young men in military garb who broke the barricade down at the Capitol, ran up the steps, broke a window and climbed in, according to court documents. 

“When this happened there were police milling around doing nothing even after the breech [sic]. Gary walked around the back of the building and climbed the stairs walking right into the rotunda. He stood there and heard and saw tear gas blasts. The police were right next to him as Gary poured water on their eyes. He stayed to chat w the police who were calm. Prior to Gary getting in evidently one woman was shot. ...,” the post said.

In a second post, she wrote that her husband entered through the door into the rotunda and was walking around the building carrying American flag, according to the documents. 

“The people san[g] the Star spangled banner 2 time then started chanting whose house? Our house! When asked to leave they did. . . . These were people who watched their rights being taken away, their votes stolen from them,” she wrote, according to charging documents. 

According to public voter registration records Edwards is listed as having no political party affiliation.

Bristol man arrested:Attorney: Ryan Samsel, Bristol man charged in capitol riots, allegedly beaten by prison guards

A subsequent FBI investigation found images purported to be of Edwards caught on security video and images shared on social media of crowds inside the rotunda and an unidentified Capitol officer, according to charging documents.

Law enforcement identified Edwards using his driver’s license information including his photo, which was compared to photos on his wife’s Facebook page, authorities said.   

Bucks County businesswoman charged:2 PA women, including Bucks County gym owner, charged with storming Capitol

At least four other Bucks County residents are among the estimated 40 Pennsylvania residents facing charges related to the riots.

They are Dawn Bancroft, owner of Cross Fit Sine-Pari on Easton Road in Plumstead, and Diana Santos-Smith, who is also from Pennsylvania, for allegedly storming the Capitol building while Congress was in session.

Raechel Genco, 38, of Bristol Borough, faces federal charges for passing through barricades on Jan. 6. Genco was with Ryan Samsel, of Bristol, who is accused of fighting with officers while attempting to remove police barricades outside the Capitol.

Alleged participants in the Capitol riots have come from over 180 counties across the country, with total cases among residents from Los Angeles County, California; Franklin County, Ohio; and Bucks County ranking among the highest, according to George Washington University's Program on Extremism, which is tracking federal and non-federal indictments related to the riots.

More charges:Feds: Bristol Township woman passed barriers during Capitol insurrection

Click here to sign up for our Watchdog Newsletter.