FBI agents arrested a man in Nashville on Sunday for helping lead the mob that invaded the U.S. Capitol last week. Eric Gavelek Munchel, 30, is charged with unlawful entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds, according to a statement from the U.S. Justice Department.
The cases against the insurrectionists are being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, which says photos depict Munchel carrying plastic zip ties commonly used as restraints by law enforcement. Investigators say he also had a holster on his right hip and a cellphone camera mounted on his chest, likely to record the events of the day.
Courtesy Metro Nashville Police Department Eric Gavelek Munchel, 30, of Nashville, was arrested Sunday.
Davidson County jail records show Munchel was booked at 2:50 p.m.
Authorities on Sunday also arrested Larry Rendell Brock, of Texas, on one count of knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority and one count of violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.
Prosecutors say Brock was seen holding a flex cuff used as a law enforcement restraint. He wore a green helmet, green tactical vest with patches, black and camouflage jacket and beige pants.
Around the country, social media have been working since Wednesday to help law enforcement identify people featured prominently in photos and video. That includes Munchel, who has been widely referenced as the “zip tie guy.”
With videos of zip tie guy now being spread, we’ve found he’s attended some protests in the Nashville area in the same gear. https://t.co/BErxZbtm2X pic.twitter.com/hI2YxiYK6X
— Opossum Press (@OpossumPress) January 9, 2021
Federal agents have been making arrests over the weekend, starting with some of the most prominent figures. Hundreds of people will likely face prosecution, says Michael Sherwin, acting U.S. attorney in Washington, D.C. Charges could range from property crimes to murder, given the loss of life amid the takeover of the Capitol. But Sherwin tells NPR he’s being careful about how he uses the most serious charges.
“I don’t want this tyranny of labels saying this was sedition, this was a coup,” Sherwin says. “But what I will say is, it was criminal.”
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