Former Fargo man charged in Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection

Nov. 20—WASHINGTON — A former Fargo man faces charges in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

Eric Zeis, 37, is a 2004 graduate of Fargo South High School who lives in Monument, Colorado.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Zeis was arrested on Monday, Nov. 13, in Denver.

Charges against Zeis include knowingly entering a restricted building without lawful authority, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building, and obstruction of law enforcement during civil disorder.

Court documents indicate Zeis, another Colorado man and others drove together from Colorado to Washington, D.C., to attend then-President Donald Trump's speech on Jan. 6.

They traveled in a van Zeis owned. Zeis was considered "the leader" of the group, documents indicated.

The day of the speech, members of the U.S. House and Senate were meeting separately in the Capitol to certify the electoral college vote count from the 2020 presidential election, a contest President Joe Biden won.

Zeis can be seen on surveillance video attending a "Stop the Steal" rally before walking to the Capitol wearing a black jacket with a black hood often pulled up to cover part of his face, a grayish knit hat, red backpack and sunglasses.

He and the other Colorado man can then be seen on the Capitol grounds, joining a large group that forced Capitol police officers to retreat to the east rotunda doors, documents said.

The group pushed its way inside, despite officers' commands to stop and their deployment of pepper spray.

Zeis was also seen outside the House's outer chamber doors, where rioters chanted "break it down" in reference to the doors leading to the chamber.

According to an FBI agent, Zeis admitted being inside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

Some Fargo residents may remember Zeis for his involvement in the local comedy scene.

In July 2010,

he returned to host and perform in the Fargo Comedy Festival

at the Fargo Theatre, an event he hoped would become an annual tradition.

At the time, Zeis was living in Los Angeles, where he appeared on Comedy Central and in several reality shows.

In the nearly three years since the insurrection, approximately 1,100 defendants have been charged in nearly all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

A former North Dakota man was arrested in April of this year in New Mexico on felony charges related to the Capitol riots.

Rockne Gerard Earles, 62, who previously lived in the Barnes County town of Oriska,

was among a group that forced their way into the Capitol, attacking officers along the way.

The FBI alleged Earles attacked a police officer who was beaten multiple times that day, suffering a concussion, which forced him out of work for 45 days, according to court documents.

The siege totaled $2.8 million in damage to the Capitol building and grounds and certain costs borne by the U.S. Capitol Police, the Department of Justice reports.