FBI: Kansas man at Capitol riot says officer shrugged when asked if he could go inside
A Kansas man who videoed himself inside the United States Capitol during the deadly Jan. 6 riot told investigators that a police officer shrugged his shoulders when he asked if he could go inside.
Mark Roger Rebegila, of St. Mary’s, was arrested Monday by the FBI after being charged in federal court in Washington, D.C. The complaint against him, unsealed Monday, includes charges of knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority, and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.
Rebegila’s “Trump 2020” stocking cap helped investigators identify him and track his movements through the building.
He is now the fifth Kansan criminally charged in connection to the riot, which happened as Congress was in a joint session to certify the vote count of the Electoral College of the 2020 Presidential Election.
Both the House and Senate halted the proceedings after rioters forced their way into the Capitol, breaking windows and assaulting police officers along the way. Five people died, including a police officer.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation received a tip the same day as the riot that Rebegila was among the people who stormed the Capitol. An FBI agent detailed the allegations against Rebegila in a document filed with the federal court for the District of Columbia.
Agents found Rebegila when reviewing security camera footage, matching him to a photo he shared from in front of the Washington Monument. Rebegila was wearing a “Trump 2020” stocking cap at both the National Mall and inside the Capitol.
The CCTV cameras showed Rebegila enter two rooms on the Senate side of the Capitol that rioters broke into, as well as other congressional offices.
A witness claimed that Rebegila sat in a lawmaker’s chair and stole a bottle of liquor. The investigation into those allegations is ongoing.
The FBI first interviewed Rebegila on Jan. 15 at his home in St. Mary’s, a town in Pottawatomie County in northeast Kansas.
“Rebegila admitted that he entered the U.S. Capitol building during the riot on January 6, 2021,” the agent wrote of the interview. “Rebegila stated in sum and substance that he arrived at the U.S. Capitol after others pushed down the barriers and crowds were entering the building. Rebegila further stated that he asked a police officer if he could go inside and the officer shrugged his shoulders.
“Rebegila further stated that he used his phone to produce and transmit a video chat as he walked through the U.S. Capitol. Rebegila further stated that he later deleted the video, and that he deleted the video because he did not want to get into trouble. Rebegila denied stealing property, assaulting law enforcement officers, or damaging property.”
Access to the Capitol is restricted. Only authorized people with appropriate identification are allowed to enter.
Four other Kansans have been arrested and charged in connection to the Jan. 6 riot. The list includes three Kansas City-area Proud Boys: William “Billy” Chrestman and Christopher Kuehne of Olathe and Ryan Keith Ashlock of Gardner. Former Topeka City Council candidate William Pope has also been charged.
This story was originally published March 16, 2021 at 7:04 PM.