Boca Raton man arrested, charged in Jan. 6 attack

Valentina Palm and Julius Whigham II, Palm Beach Post
·2 min read
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Stock crime scene tape
Stock crime scene tape

BOCA RATON — A Boca Raton man was arrested Thursday and charged with crimes for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

The Department of Justice charged Richard Cook, 37, of Boca Raton, with civil disorder, a felony, and misdemeanors related to joining the group of armed rioters who tried to stop the certification of the 2020 presidential election results.

Cook made his made his initial court appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge William Matthewman on Thursday at the West Palm Beach federal courthouse. Matthewman assigned Cook a temporary public defender and issued an order for Cook's removal to the District of Columbia.

The judge set Cook's bail at $25,000 and ordered that Cook surrender all passports and travel documents, report as directed to pretrial services and refrain from possessing a firearm.

The Department of Justice says Cook repeatedly engaged in confrontations with Capitol law enforcement Jan. 6, entered the tunnel on the building's lower West Terrace, and joined a mob screaming “Heave Ho!” and “Push!” inside the chambers. He took part in the collective pushes of the rioters against an officer who screamed in pain as he was pinned between a shield and a wall.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security are still investigating the case with the FBI Miami Field Office.

Five people, including one police officer and four protesters, died in the Jan. 6 riot. In the 26 months since, almost 999 people have been arrested in nearly all 50 states and charged with crimes related to attack on the Capitol. Florida holds the record for most people facing charges in the insurrection.

Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.

Valentina Palm covers Royal Palm Beach, Wellington, Loxahatchee and other western communities in Palm Beach County for The Palm Beach Post. Email her at vpalm@pbpost.com and follow her on Twitter at @ValenPalmB. Support local journalism: Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Boca Raton man charged, arrested for role in Jan. 6 Capitol attack