A Farmingdale man has become the fourth Long Islander arrested for allegedly joining the U.S. Capitol building riot, which left five dead, including a police officer, federal prosecutors said.
Greg Rubenacker was arrested Tuesday morning by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force based on witness evidence of Snapchat videos showing him inside the Capitol building on Jan. 6, including one of him smoking a marijuana cigarette, authorities said.
“The witness stated that Snapchat user Rubenacker had sent multiple Snapchat videos to the witness from inside the Capitol building,” authorities alleged in court documents. “User Rubenacker then posted some of those videos merged together in a ‘story’ that other Snapchat users could see, including the witness.”
Three others from Bellmore, Huntington, and Freeport, were arrested last month for their alleged participation in the Capitol riot. His arrest came on the first day of former President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial after members of Congress accused him of inciting an insurrection to prevent lawmakers from certifying Joe Biden’s Electoral College victory.
Four consecutive Snapchat story videos document Rubenacker cheering on the break-in of the Capitol building and then entering himself, court documents claim. In the final video, he and other rioters are seen counting and smoking marijuana cigarettes, and Rubenacker says “Smoke out the Capitol, baby,” prosecutors allege.
According to the documents, Rubenacker is charged with knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful permission, engaging in disorderly conduct with intent to impede or disrupt government business or official functions, uttering loud, threatening, or abusive language in any of the Capitol buildings with the intent to impede, disrupt, or disturb a session of Congress or either House of Congress, and parading, demonstrating, or picketing in any of the Capitol buildings.
He is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday in federal court. His attorney information was not immediately available.
Sign up for Long Island Press’ email newsletters here. Sign up for home delivery of Long Island Press here. Sign up for discounts by becoming a Long Island Press community partner here.
