Three Florida Men Arrested on Felony Charges Related to Jan. 6 Capitol Breach (original) (raw)

WASHINGTON — Three Florida men were arrested yesterday on felony charges related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, which disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress that was in the process of ascertaining and counting the electoral votes related to the presidential election.

Those arrested include Alan Fischer III, 28, of Tampa, Zachary Johnson, 33, of St. Petersburg, and Dion Rajewski, 61, of Largo. All three defendants are charged with civil disorder and other offenses. Fischer and Rajewski are additionally charged with assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers with a dangerous weapon. Fischer is to make his initial appearance today in the Middle District of Florida, and Johnson and Rajewski appeared in court yesterday.

According to an affidavit and criminal complaint, Fischer marched to the Capitol on Jan. 6 with members of the Proud Boys, a group that describes itself as a “pro-Western fraternal organization for men who refuse to apologize for creating the modern world; aka Western Chauvinists.” Once there, he moved to the vicinity of the terrace on the west side of the Capitol, where he joined others in pushing against law enforcement at the arched entrance to a passageway into the building. The group of rioters collectively pushed against officers, at times rocking together in a coordinated way, to gain entry to the interior of the building. He remained in this area for a period of more than 45 minutes. Later, according to the court documents, Fischer moved to the west front of the Capitol. Once there, he threw chairs, an orange traffic cone, and a pole towards officers.

Johnson and Rajewski were charged in an indictment returned on Jan. 12, 2022. Both are accused of possessing pepper spray, and Johnson is accused of aiding and abetting its use against officers. Johnson also is alleged to have had a sledgehammer.

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 Middle District of Florida.

The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Tampa Field Office. Valuable assistance was provided by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, which identified Fischer as #222 in its seeking information photos, and the U.S. Capitol Police.

In the one year since Jan. 6, more than 725 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including over 225 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.

Indictments and complaints are merely allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.