The son of a New York City judge was arrested Tuesday on federal charges connected to his role in a riot by supporters of President Donald Trump at the U.S. Capitol last week.
The man, Aaron Mostofsky, was clad in furs when invaded the Capitol with thousands of other rioters, and stole a riot shield and bullet-proof vest belonging to Capitol police during the incident, according to a criminal complaint in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn, New York.
Mostofsky, 34, told The New York Post in an interview last week that he was motivated to storm the halls of Congress with others because of his belief that Trump was swindled out of a presidential electoral victory by ballot fraud.
Trump has been accused by Democrats and others of inciting the riot, which occurred after a rally where he and his allies asked supporters to fight with him to overturn Joe Biden’s Electoral College win.
At least five people, including a Capitol police officer killed by rioters, and a mob participant who was fatally shot by police, died in the violence. Trump faces likely impeachment this week because of the riot.
A video interview of Mostofsky shows him carrying the riot shield and wearing the police vest. The items, which he also was seen in possession of in photos on his Instagram account, are valued at more than $2,100, according to the complaint.
Mostofsky, who was busted in New York at his brother’s house, is the son of Brooklyn Supreme Court Judge Shlomo Mostofsky, a prominent member of the Orthodox Jewish community who was elected to the bench last year on the Democratic ballot line.
Supreme courts, despite their names, are trial level courts in New York state.
“I don’t think 75 million people voted for Trump — I think it was close to 85 million,” Aaron Mostofsky told The Post last week, before becoming one of the dozens of people charged so far in the riots.
“I think certain states that have been red for a long time turned blue and were stolen, like New York.”
He and the other rioters disrupted for hours the certification of Biden’s election by a joint session of Congress.
The criminal complaint reveals that a person sent Mostofsky an Instagram message with a photo of him in the Capitol complex, saying “Your famous.”
“IK [I know] unfortunately,” Mostofsky replied, according to the complaint.
“Cause now people actually know me.”
He has been charged with theft of government property, entering a restricted building or grounds without lawful authority, engaging in disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds with intent to impede government business, and unlawful entry and disorderly conduct.
Mostofsky faces maximum possible sentence of of 10 years in prison if convicted of the top charge, theft of government property.
Mostofsky’s brother, Nachman Mostosfky, who is vice president of the South Brooklyn Conservative Club, told the online publication Gothamist last week, “My brother did nothing illegal.”
″“He definitely was not part of the riot,” Nachman said, and then claimed that his brother was “pushed inside” the Capitol building.
“You’re full of s–. You’re a dishonest person. My brother went as a citizen of America,” Nachman railed at Gothamist.
“You find me one [Black Lives Matter] riot or one Antifa riot from over the summer that didn’t have way more damage.”
Mostofsky’s arrest came a day after it was revealed that several Capitol police officers have been suspended, with at least 10 more under investigation for their actions during the riot.
Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, who chairs a committees that oversees the Capitol Police, said one of the suspended officers is believed to have a selfie photo with rioters, while another officer was suspended after being spotted wearing a hat emblazoned with Trump’s motto, “Make American Great Again.”
“The main point is the Capitol Police are looking at everybody involved that could have potentially facilitated at a big level or a small level,” he said.
The Secret Service, whose responsibilities include protecting the president and their family, said Monday that it is investigating an officer with that agency who had accused members of Congress who confirmed Biden’s election of treason.
