Broward man ‘HAD A BLAST’ storming U.S. Capitol, posted videos on social media, feds say

Grethel Aguila
·2 min read
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A Broward man took to TikTok to report that he “HAD A BLAST” storming the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 with his partner, according to federal court documents, adding a caption: “me and babe stormed the Capitol with the rest of America.”

He’s now facing jail time — three years after the riot.

Joseph Julius Lapoint, 43, is charged with entering and remaining in a restricted building; disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building; disorderly conduct in a Capitol building; and parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building.

Lapoint and Nicole Marie Joyner, who the U.S. Justice Department identified as Lapoint’s girlfriend/fianceé, were among the more than 2,000 people who stormed the U.S. Capitol to disrupt the Electoral College’s vote count and overturn the election. The attack was sparked in large part by false claims that the 2020 election was rigged against former President Donald Trump.

According to a federal complaint, Lapoint was traced back to the Jan. 6, 2021 riot after a tipster told the FBI that Lapoint, their relative, had posted videos of himself and Joyner claiming that they entering the Capitol during the breach.

Lapoint, the complaint says, even posted a photo standing on the window ledge inside an office in the building.

A second tipster provided screenshots of Joyner making similar posts on her Parler account, according to the complaint. The now-defunct social media platform was popular among conservatives. The court documents also include a screenshot of a photo Joyner posted on Instagram related to the conspiracy theory that Antifa stormed the Capitol.

In the caption, Joyner wrote: “They were escorted by police I saw it my self.”

As federal agents continued their investigation, they pointed out Lapoint and Joyner in a livestream of the mob “unlawfully” entering the Capitol, the complaint states. Investigators also used facial recognition software to search open-source videos and images, which resulted in matches further pinpointing the couple at the Capitol building.

According to surveillance footage from the Capitol, the duo entered and exited through the Senate Wing Doors, according to the complaint. They spent about 20 minutes inside the building.

GPS location data obtained through a search warrant placed both Lapoint and Joyner at the Capitol during the riot.

Lapoint appeared in Fort Lauderdale federal court on Tuesday and was released from custody after posting a $25,000 bond. The case is being transferred from the Southern District of Florida to D.C. Court records show Lapoint, who could not be reached for comment, had not yet retained an attorney.