Toms River man faces January 6 charges , wore name on clothes during riot, FBI says
A Toms River resident and business owner was arrested and charged after being identified as a participant in the January 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riots when authorities allege he wore his name and contact information on his jacket during the incident.
Robert Coppotelli - who is registered at the same address as Coppotelli Heavy Equipment Sales & Services, Inc., in Toms River - was identified by FBI Newark as a suspect, according to court documents.
According to his arrest warrant, Coppotelli was arrested Tuesday and charged with four misdemeanors: knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority, disorderly or disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly conduct in a Capitol building and parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building.
Attempts to reach Coppotelli for comment were not immediately successful.
In July 2021, FBI Newark received an anonymous tip containing photographs of an individual identified by the tipster as Coppotelli, inside the Capitol building, the court documents said. In the photographs, the individual is visible and wearing a jacket that says “Coppotelli” and“732-XXX-6050." The phone number was partially redacted by the FBI.
The bureau then identified the business “Coppotelli Heavy Equipment Sales & Services, Inc.,” which is registered with the U.S. Department of Transportation at an address in Toms River, the document said. The company’s logo matches the text and artwork shown on the back of the suspect’s jacket.
The FBI then identified Coppotelli as living at the same address, according to the documents. An agent also spoke with an individual - unnamed in the documents - who personally knows the suspect and identified him in the photos.
Footage from the Capitol's closed-caption video system and videos taken in and around the building by third-parties were reviewed during the investigation, which showed Coppotelli in and around the U.S. Capitol building on January 6, 2021, wearing a red hooded sweatshirt, a black hat under the red hood, a surgical-style, blue face mask and a dark-colored jacket with a "Coppotelli" insignia on the front, according to the documents. He is also seen with a white male wearing a grey jacket with a fur-lined hood, black sweatpants and a grey beanie.
The Capitol's surveillance videos show that Coppotelli approached the Capitol building from the west, at a time when "grossly outnumbered police officers fought to keep an amassing crowd of hundreds from approaching the Capitol building," the documents said. The video then captures Coppotellion U.S. Capitol grounds scaling the northwest staircase, which leads from the west plaza to theexterior of the first floor of the Capitol building.
Shortly after., Coppotelli entered the Capitol building through the Senate Wing Door, approximately 11 minutes after the initial breach of the building at this entrance, the FBI said. Twelve minutes later, he exited the building by crawling through a broken window adjacent to the Senate Wing Door.
Jenna Calderón covers breaking news and cold cases in Monmouth and Ocean counties. Before coming to the Press, she covered The Queen City for Cincinnati Magazine in Ohio. Contact her at 330-590-3903; jcalderon@gannettnj.com
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Robert Coppotelli arrested for involvement in January 6 riot: FBI
