LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — The FBI arrested a Las Vegas-area truck driver for allegedly entering the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 and then tweeting about it, saying in part, “I was in the capital [sic]… and all hell broke loose,” documents the 8 News Now Investigators obtained say.
Bradley Nelson, of North Las Vegas, faces charges of entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds; disorderly and disruptive conduct; disorderly conduct in a Capitol Building; and parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol Building, records showed.
Nelson, who the FBI said is a commercial truck driver, drove his truck from southern Nevada to Washington, D.C. in January 2021, and parked it at an inspection station, they said.
Officials with the FBI said they received several tips about Nelson who they said posted several tweets on Twitter saying he was at the Capitol on Jan. 6.
“I was one of those that breach [sic] that I was in the capital [sic] I was in the tunda [sic] area when everybody got pushed through and all hell broke loose,” the FBI said Nelson tweeted on Jan. 6, 2021.
“I was there today I was in the group to breach the capital [sic] I’m sorry but till the death that’s what we where [sic] told,” another tweet from Jan. 6 from Nelson said, according to federal investigators.
A tweet from Jan. 8, 2021, reads: “If all of us that were there had taken our guns easiest decision do you think that that capital building would be in control of the capital police or do you think would be in control of it patriot Americans because we didn’t break a goddamn thing,” according to the FBI.
The FBI later identified Nelson from his Nevada driver’s license and videos of the insurrection. Federal investigators also said Nelson’s cell phone was in the area, including inside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.
In June 2021, Nelson admitted to the FBI that he was inside the building on Jan. 6, the department said. It was unclear why prosecutors waited until this month to file charges.
“When the FBI agent asked Nelson about Twitter posts he had made about the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, Nelson stated that it was ‘just a bunch of [expletive] because everyone was excited and pissed off,’ and that he never intended to cause or participate in any violence,” the FBI said.
Investigators later obtained video of a man they said is Nelson breaching the building and saying: “We’re at the gate. We’re coming through this [expletive] tonight. We’re at the door. We’re right here. We’re coming in. They’re not stopping us now, [expletive]. This is our house, [expletive].”
After Nelson left the building, he was recorded on video saying: “I heard the whole Senate was in the basement, they were scared. Good. Because I tell ya, [expletive] cocaine Mitch was on the [expletive] bullseye. We were in… and I guarantee ya they were [expletive] [expletive] their pants. Look I’m going back to regroup and… we’re coming back and taking this [expletive] again tonight,” federal investigators said.
“Cocaine Mitch” refers to Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, the FBI said.
The FBI arrested Nelson on Wednesday. He made his first appearance in federal court in Las Vegas the same day, records showed. A judge released him on his own recognizance, ordering him to appear in court in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday.
Nelson is the fourth person from the Las Vegas area arrested for their alleged roles on Jan. 6.
Ronald “Ronnie” Sandlin, 35, began serving a 63-month prison sentence in December. Nathaniel “Nate” DeGrave pleaded guilty to his involvement last year. He was awaiting sentencing.
Earlier this month, the FBI arrested Brandon Dillard, 39, for allegedly climbing on the exterior of the U.S. Capitol and entering the building through a broken window, documents said.
The FBI has arrested nearly 1,000 people for crimes related to Jan. 6, the department said. More than 300 people face charges of assaulting or impeding law enforcement. Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI or online at tips.fbi.gov.
Seven people died in the riot or in the immediate days after, including an officer for the Capitol police, the Jan. 6 committee found. Federal prosecutors have filed charges stemming from the breach against more than 900 people, so far. Damage to the Capitol building was estimated to be around $3 million.
Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed special counsel Jack Smith last fall to oversee the department’s investigations into the former president and the lead-up to the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol insurrection.