Iowa Man Arrested in Connection to Jan. 6 After Relative Outs Him to FBI as 'Radicalized'

A Sioux City, Iowa, man was arrested earlier this month for taking part in the January 6 U.S. Capitol riot after a relative tipped off the FBI.

According to the Associated Press, Kenneth Rader has been charged with four counts, including knowingly entering a restricted area building, two counts of disorderly and disruptive conduct, and demonstrating in a Capitol building.

According to charging documents, FBI agent Michael Banfield received a tip on January 8, 2021, from a Rader relative that mentioned Rader's alleged involvement in the January 6 event.

The tipster stated that Rader shared videos of himself on the Capitol grounds and verbally threatened former Vice President Mike Pence. However, according to charging documents, the tipster could not confirm the videos were taken inside the Capitol during the riot.

The tipster referred to Rader as a "radicalized" family member, and later in the year, that individual and another Rader family member told Banfield that Rader had traveled to D.C. to attend a rally with an unknown group, the charged documents stated.

According to the Des Moines Register, Rader was interviewed by the FBI in September and claimed he was at the rally and was walking the Capital grounds when he heard a "boom" and looked through the door but did not go inside.

However, using cell phone records, the FBI was able to register Rader's device inside the Capitol building for about three minutes, the Register reported.

In video footage described in the charging documents, investigators say they were able to identify Rader walking through a broken door at the Senate Wing wearing a blue sweatshirt.

Kenneth Rader Capitol Riot
The FBI says images from video footage captured during the January 6 riot show Kenneth Rader, above, inside the U.S. Capitol on that day. FBI

Charging documents state that the two tipsters were shown three photographs and identified the man in the images as Rader.

The FBI accessed Rader's Facebook page, which shared an image of a burning American flag on the day President Joe Biden was declared the 2020 election winner, according to the AP. Rader also posted references to a QAnon conspiracy theory known as the Great Awakening.

The Des Moines Register reported that one of the Rader tipsters also told the FBI that Rader was once seen receiving a notification labeled "Q," to which Rader said he was "waiting for instructions."

According to KMEG, Rader is a published author who released the book 2812 Isabella about his battle with drug addiction and time spent in and out of prison.

Rader made his initial court appearance on January 20, and according to KMEG, he is currently free on bond but is scheduled to make a Washington, D.C., court appearance on Thursday via Zoom.

Rader is now the seventh Iowan charged for his role in the Capital riot, according to the Register.

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