Capitol riot: Two more Putnam men facing federal charges in attack on Capitol

Two Putnam County men, who appear to be brothers, were recently arrested in relation to the Jan. 6 blitz on the U.S. Capitol building. 

Greg Richard Purdy Jr., a Carmel High School graduate, and Matthew Purdy, both of Kent, were arrested Nov. 10. They face a slew of federal charges that accuse them of storming the Capitol, with Greg Purdy allegedly putting up a series of social media posts as the attack unfolded and in the immediate aftermath. 

They are at least the 11th and 12th men with ties to the Mid Hudson Valley accused in the attack.

Greg Purdy Jr., who ran and lost for Carmel school board in 2020, can be seen in one video posted to Instagram stating, "Right now we're on top of the Capitol. Everybody stormed through. We're the second wave coming through," according to the FBI. Another clip posted to Greg Purdy's Instagram account included a comment from him that read in part, "Inside the capital (sic) getting tear gassed!" the complaint states. 

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Greg and Matthew Purdy both face federal charges of entering and remaining in a restricted building and grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly conduct in a Capitol building and demonstrating in a Capitol building. 

Greg Purdy Jr. also faces charges of assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers; obstruction of an official proceeding; and civil disorder. 

A third man, Robert Turner, is facing the same charges as Greg Purdy Jr. They appear to be related, according to the complaint.

The FBI reviewed videos that Greg Purdy Jr. allegedly posted that a member of the public sent to the law enforcement agency, and relied on bodycam videos taken by Capitol police officers who confronted the mob and other surveillance video, according to the complaint. 

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Greg Purdy Jr.  was placed on the FBI's most wanted list following the Jan. 6 attack, which occurred as lawmakers attempted to certify the 2020 Presidential election.

Several Putnam residents have been arrested since Jan. 6. A Mahopac man was arrested by the FBI earlier this fall after he was arrested in an unrelated robbery case in Westchester County. Another Putnam resident was charged after he bragged about storming the Capitol on the dating app Bumble. 

One Mahopac man has already pleaded guilty to charges. 

An attorney representing Greg Purdy Jr., Robert Lee Jenkins, said Friday his client went to the Capitol to "exercise his constitutional rights."

"He did not come with the intent to cause any violence or to break any laws," Jenkins said.

Surveillance video inside the U.S. Capitol showed Greg and Matthew Purdy inside the Senate wing for at least a few minutes around 2:13 p.m., according to the complaint. About an hour later, bodycam footage shows Purdy pushing through a police line outside the Capitol building around 3:30 p.m., according to the complaint.  

The complaint also details how Greg Purdy Jr. believed the 2020 presidential election was stolen from then-President Donald Trump, a Republican who lost to Democrat Joe Biden. In one Instagram clip, Greg Purdy Jr. is heard allegedly saying, "We're not going to let this steal happen. We're not letting this travesty against democracy happen, because that's what it is. We're going to the Capitol right now. We're marching there."

There's no evidence to suggest the election was unfairly conducted. 

The father of Greg and Matthew Purdy, Greg Purdy-Schwartz, was also allegedly at the Capitol, according to the FBI, though he has not been charged. Purdy-Schwartz, a Republican, ran for state assembly in 2016 against Democrat Sandy Galef and lost. 

At one point, Purdy-Schwartz can be seen on video making contact with a police officer as a group of people pushed past a police line, according to the FBI. 

Witnesses and data from Facebook, which owns Instagram and recently changed its company name to Meta, helped identify Greg and Matthew Purdy, according to the complaint. 

A hearing is scheduled for the two men Dec. 8. Both are out on bail. 

David Propper covers Westchester County. Reach him at dpropper@lohud.com and follow him on Twitter: dg_props.