ROCKY MOUNT, Va. – Two Rocky Mount Police officers now face federal charges in connection with last Wednesday’s events at the U.S. Capitol.
The officers, Jacob Fracker and Thomas Robertson, each face a charge of knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority and a charge of violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.
On Wednesday afternoon, the two appeared virtually in federal court in Roanoke for their first hearing.
During the hearing, the government announced it would not seek jail time for the two men, who are each on a $15,000 unsecured bond.
The government wanted them to wear GPS tracking ankle bracelets, but the judge felt that was not necessary due to them being police officers and military veterans.
Not only are the two men banned from going to Washington, D.C., they also barred from taking part in any demonstration or protest while out on bail.
Both men are also required to give up all their firearms.
The photo above of the two men in front of a statue of John Stark within the Capitol was taken sometime after 2 p.m., but before 8 p.m. on Wednesday, according to the criminal complaint filed in federal court.
The complaint provides the text of a social media post made by Robertson, “CNN and the Left are just mad because we actually attacked the government who is the problem and not some random small business... The right IN ONE DAY took the f***** U.S. Capitol. Keep poking us.”
The complaint also mentions two social media posts that 10 News showed you on Sunday afternoon.
When 10 News reached out to Robertson, he told us he needed the investigation to be over before he talked to us, but said the picture was taken “long after any disorder and we were let in and escorted by Capitol Police.” He added “I walked through an open door guarded by two Capitol police officers, was handed a bottle of water by then and asked to stay within a roped area, which we did.”
The criminal complaint dismisses what Robertson said to different media outlets because of his previous social media saying that he had “attacked the government.”
Furthermore, according to Vincent Veloz, the special agent with U.S. Capitol Police who wrote up this statement of facts, at the time the picture was taken, the Capitol was on lockdown and both men being inside was without lawful authority.
Their next court appearance will be on Jan. 19.