NYC sanitation worker charged in Capitol riot

A New York City sanitation worker is facing criminal charges for his alleged role in the U.S. Capitol riot after authorities said videos surfaced online of him at the scene of the January insurrection.

Prosecutors said the case against Dominick Madden, 43, will be transferred to federal court in Washington, following his arrest Thursday night in Brooklyn before his court appearance Friday.

New York-based Magistrate Judge Ramon E. Reyes Jr. read the charges to Madden in a virtual court proceeding, which include an allegation the city worker was involved in violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds with intent to impede, disrupt or disturb a session of Congress.

The charges also accuse him of knowingly entering or staying in a restricted building or grounds without legal authority and engaging in disorderly conduct there.

The judge authorized Madden's release on a $250,000 bond, with collateral secured by the home of Madden's sister and brother-in-law in Middletown, New Jersey. He also told Madden to surrender his passport, to have no contact with any alleged co-conspirators, to not participate in political rallies or social media exchanges and to stay away from capitol buildings.

Madden's attorney, John Rapawy, declined to comment after court.

On Jan. 6, rioters backing former President Donald Trump breached the Capitol as members of Congress were meeting to certify the vote count of the Electoral College of the 2020 presidential election that delivered victory to President Joe Biden. The violence left five people dead, including a Capitol police officer.

An FBI special agent wrote in court documents that video surveillance footage showed Madden going inside the U.S. Capitol Building at about 3 p.m. on Jan. 6 through the Senate Wing door and carrying a flag while walking around and speaking to other rioters before leaving through the same door 13 minutes later.

Federal officials sought the surveillance video after a New York Post story on Jan. 14 featured a photo of Madden outside the building, identified him as a city sanitation worker and said the FBI was investigating his involvement in the incident, the agent wrote.

The story reported police sources said federal officials were investigating Madden after videos on social media appeared to show him outside the Capitol wearing a QAnon hoodie and waving a Trump flag while shouting the QAnon slogan.

Authorities said federal officials reviewed a passport application from Madden, which listed his employer as the New York City Department of Sanitation. They also said his passport had a date of birth and Social Security number matching those that the sanitation department provided for Madden.

Madden admitted to his employer he was out of his house "without authorization" while on sick leave on Jan. 6, according to federal officials. They said sanitation department investigators told the FBI on Wednesday that another employee who worked with Madden since 2016 said the person in the video linked to the Post article "looks like Madden."

A sanitation department spokesman said Friday that Madden has been suspended without pay since shortly after the department learned of the allegations.

Madden's arrest comes as authorities investigate hundreds of people linked to the pro-Trump riot, yielding arrests in the region that have included a retired FDNY firefighter from Freeport, the son of a Brooklyn judge, and another suspect who appeared virtually Friday before a federal judge in White Plains.

Federal prosecutors identified that defendant as Jeffrey Sabol. Magistrate Judge Andrew Krause ordered him detained without bond, according to a spokesman for the Manhattan U.S. Attorney's Office who said late Friday afternoon that the complaint against Sabol wasn't publicly available yet.

Sabol's defense attorney, Jason Ser, couldn't be immediately reached for comment.

With Anthony M. DeStefano