Moloney Funeral Homes Responds to Capitol Riot Arrest of Its Co-owner
After Wednesday’s arrest of Peter Moloney, co-owner of Moloney Funeral Homes, for alleged assault and disorderly conduct during the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riots, co-owner Dan Moloney has released a statement on behalf of the two men’s funeral home business.
“For over 90 years the Moloney family has served our neighbors during their most trying times and has a long and proud history of supporting the law enforcement and first responder communities,” Dan Moloney said in the statement. “The alleged actions taken by an individual on his own time are in no way reflective of the core values of Moloney Funeral Home, which is dedicated to earning and maintaining the trust of all members of the community of every race, religion, and nationality.”
Moloney Funeral Homes has several Suffolk County locations, including in Lake Ronkonkoma, Holbrook, Port Jefferson Station, Central Islip, Bohemia, Center Moriches, and Hauppauge.
The federal government arrested Peter Moloney, 58, of Bayport, on Wednesday and charged him with several counts of assault and remaining on restricted grounds, including for allegedly spraying insecticide at Capitol police officers and journalists.
“He brought protective eyewear, a helmet, and a can of Black Flag Wasp, Hornet Yellow Jacket Killer 2.1,” federal court documents allege. “This indicates that he went to the Capitol on January 6, 2021, prepared for violence.”
Prosecutors say that photos of Moloney on his business’s website can be matched to video of him committing violent acts during the Capitol riots. The court documents allege that Moloney was part of an initial group that intruded into the building.
Court documents also allege that at about 1:29 p.m., Moloney removed a can of insecticide from his backpack and began spraying at officers’ faces and bodies. Prosecutors allege that he sprayed the can at least one other time at officers and also violently struck people who he and other rioters believed to be journalists.
The documents also allege that there was another employee of Moloney’s company with him at the riots, but that colleague has not been charged at this time.
Moloney’s defense attorney is Philip Branigen. He appeared Wednesday at Central Islip Federal Court.
Moloney is one of more than 1,000 individuals in nearly all 50 states who have been arrested in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021 riots, which left five people dead. Moloney is also one of eight Long Islanders to be arrested in relation to the riots.
