Couple from Upstate SC arrested in connection to Jan. 6 Capitol riots

Devyani Chhetri, Greenville News
·3 min read

As the proceedings surrounding the Jan. 6 Capitol riots continue to unfold, a couple from Fountain Inn, South Carolina was arrested on charges of storming the U.S. Capitol, as per federal court documents filed Sept. 27. The latest proceedings come months after a Greer resident was sentenced to a probation period lasting 36 months.

William John Wyatt Gallman, 38, and Joei Leann Gallman, 42 were arrested on the charges of trespassing and engaging in disruptive and disorderly activities at the U.S. Capitol, which was off-limits to the public while members of Congress were in the midst of certifying election results.

Federal investigators found the Gallmans through their google accounts that were detected on the premises during the riots.

Investigators were able to recover phone numbers attached to the accounts and were able to verify their identities and addresses using records from the SC Department of Motor Vehicle and publicly available accounts on Facebook. They then reviewed scores of photographs and videos from surveillance and body cameras, which showed the two inside the Capitol building.

The Gallmans were accompanied by Alan Scott Culberston, 59, a resident of Laurens. Culbertson was also detected using cellphone and state records and has been named several times in the complaint filed against the Gallmans as a co-defendant. However, details of whether he was arrested are not publicly available.

Investigators built a case against the three with interviews, wherein the three admitted that they had traveled to Washington D.C. to attend the rally, and had subsequently entered the Capitol building.

Previously reported:Here's what we know about the 8 people from South Carolina charged in the Capitol riot

More: Greer man sentenced to 36 months probation in Jan. 6 Capitol riot case

In the second round of interviews, the Gallmans and Culbertson showed investigators the clothes they wore on the day of the riots. The clothes included a blue sweatshirt William Gallman wore and red, white and blue beanie with "Trump" written on it that sat atop his wife, Joei's head, as per photographs and surveillance videos submitted to the court.

Court documents show that the couple were asked to surrender their passports and were restricted from traveling anywhere outside of the state, save for Washington D.C., for further proceedings. They each had to pay a bond of $25,000 to be released from jail and are instructed to have no contact with Culbertson.

Timeline of activities

  • The Gallmans and Culbertson were first pictured outside the "stop the steal" rally on the Ellipse, where former President Donald Trump gave a speech urging rioters towards the U.S. Capitol building.

  • They were then pictured on the Upper West Terrace of the Capitol building.

  • At 2:20 p.m., 20 minutes after the Capitol was first breached, the Gallmans and Culbertson were seen entering the building and spent nearly 25 minute walking through areas such as the Rotunda and Statutory hall.

  • At 2:55 p.m., they were seen leaving the Capitol building.

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: SC Couple arrested in connection to Jan. 6 Capitol riots Fountain Inn