According to reports, a New York man has been charged with entering the U.S. Capitol building during the January 6 riots, after the FBI began an investigation when they received a tip from one of his matches on Bumble, a dating app.
“One week after the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, Robert Chapman sent a message to a prospective love interest on the dating app Bumble to brag that he had taken part,” reported The Washington Post.
According to court documents, Chapman boasted on Bumble, saying “I did storm the capitol” and that he “made it all the way to Statuary Hall.”
The Bumble user reportedly contacted the police, after responding “We are not a match.”
NBC New York reported yesterday that Chapman was arrested by the FBI “in connection with the events of Jan. 6 in Washington, D.C.,” and is “charged with trespassing and disorderly conduct on restricted government property.”
“In addition to the Bumble communication,” NBC New York added, “the FBI was informed about a Facebook post in which another person shared a photo of Chapman seemingly inside the Capitol, captioning it, ‘My Dear friend and Brostar Robert made it in the Capitol building at the protest yesterday ….Woo Hooooooooo!!!!’”
Court documents reportedly added that officials believe that Chapman responded in the comments section, responding to others, “these are your peers? Colleagues? They are a bunch of little b**** trolls. Keyboard warriors who don’t do a f***ing thing.”
This same profile reportedly posted “INSIDE THE CRAPITOL!!!” on the day of the U.S. Capitol riot, alongside photos inside the building.
When told that “We are not a match,” Chapman is reported to have responded, “I suppose not.”
“Robert Chapman” of Carmel, New York was texting with his potential date on Bumble as he stormed the Capitol.
He said: “I did storm the Capitol and made it all the way to Statuary Hall”.
She said: "We are not a match" and turned him in. pic.twitter.com/90A17Or54c
— Julia Davis (@JuliaDavisNews) April 23, 2021
This isn’t the first time online posts have been the focus of investigations related to the U.S. Capitol riots. As CNN noted, “Incriminating social media posts like these have become a hallmark of the Capitol riot investigation. In dozens of cases, prosecutors quoted rioters’ posts from Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, Parler, Snapchat, and other sites where they bragged about their alleged crimes.”
According to CNN, “More than 390 people have been charged with federal crimes in connection with the attack.”
Shortly after the Senate reconvened for the evening following the U.S. Capitol riot, then-Vice President Mike Pence praised the resilience of American democracy and condemned the actions of those who stormed the Capitol.
“Today was a dark day in the history of the United States Capitol, but thanks to the swift efforts of U.S. Capitol police, federal, state, and local law enforcement, the violence was quelled, the Capitol is secured, and the people’s work continues,” said Pence.
“We condemn the violence that took place here in the strongest possible terms,” Pence added. “We grieve the loss of life in these hallowed halls, as well as the injuries suffered by those who defended our Capitol today, and we will always be grateful to the men and women who stayed at their post to defend this historic place.”