Capitol Riot

NJ Man With Naval Base Security Clearance, Munitions Access Charged in Riot: Feds

Federal officials say Hale-Cusanelli confessed to a confidential informant that he was present at the riot at the U.S. Capitol and showed video of himself inside the building

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Federal officials charged a man in New Jersey with security clearance at Naval Weapons Station Earle for his alleged participation in the storming of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.

Timothy Louis Hale-Cusanelli works as a contractor with "secret" security clearance and access to "a variety of munitions" at the Naval base in Colts Neck, court documents said. Hale-Cusanelli is also enlisted in the Army Reserves.

In the criminal complaint, federal officials say Hale-Cusanelli confessed to a confidential informant that he was present at the riot at the U.S. Capitol and showed video of himself inside the building.

The informant describes Hale-Cusanelli as an "avowed white supremacist and Nazi sympathizer who posts video opinion statements on YouTube proffering extreme political opinions and viewpoints," the complaint say.

On Jan. 14, the informant worked with the Navy Criminal Investigative Service to record a conversation with Hale-Cusanelli where he confessed to entering the Capitol and detailed his actions inside.

In the recorded conversation, officials say Hale-Cusanelli admitted to "encouraging other members of the mob to 'advance' – giving directions via both voice and hand signals."

Hale-Cusanelli was arrested Friday by agents of the Newark FBI Joint Terrorist Force and the NCIS, a spokesperson for the FBI in New Jersey said.

The 30-year-old lives on the Navel base, according to address records obtained by NBC New York. It was not immediately clear if Hale-Cusanelli had legal representation.

The base holds munitions for resupplying the Navy's fleet in the Atlantic and Persian Gulf. Tomahawk ship-launched missiles and naval shells are known to be stored at the base.

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