A worker at a UPS hub in Lawnside, New Jersey was arrested on Thursday for several federal offenses that he allegedly committed on Jan. 6 and then bragged about the next day, according to the Department of Justice.
The FBI said that multiple tips and witnesses identified Donald Smith as one of the hundreds of people who unlawfully breached the U.S. Capitol. The first tipster identified themself as a UPS co-worker of Smith’s.
“He has videos on his phone and was bragging about it at work,” the person said. “I work with a man who showed up with pictures and video of him and others storming the white house (sic). He says he was in Nancy Pelosis office and that it was the best day of his life. I do not condone these actions and would like to report him. His name is Donald Smith and we work at UPS in Lawnside NJ. I have a picture of him. Thank you in advance for your help.”
A second tipster also identified Smith as UPS worker. The person said that they said Smith on TV (see: image above).
The FBI said it followed up on the tips and weeded out numerous Donald Smiths in N.J. by finding the one Donald Smith who worked for UPS.
“The FBI obtained DMV records specifically for a driver’s license photograph of the Donald Smith employed by UPS. Your affiant compared the photograph provided by Witness-1 to the driver’s license photograph. The photograph provided by Witness-1 appears consistent with the individual in the DMV photograph of Donald Smith (‘DONALD SMITH’),” charging documents stated.
The first witness told the feds the suspect was not at work on Jan. 6 (a Wednesday) and then returned to work the next day beaming about the previous day’s events.
“According to Witness-1, when DONALD SMITH returned to work on January 7, 2021, he gloated about being at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, and being in House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office. Witness-1 also stated that DONALD SMITH showed photographs from the U.S. Capitol to his colleagues,” charging documents said.
A third witness — also a UPS co-worker — corroborated that Smith was not at work on Jan. 6 and admitted the next day that he stormed the Capitol, the FBI added.
“Additionally, Witness-3 stated that DONALD SMITH claimed that he had a great time and was in House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office,” the complaint went on.
That third witness said that a fourth witness took photos of Smith on TV walking past the door where pro-Trump rioters had scrawled the words “Murder the Media.”
According to Witness-3, in the days after January 6, 2021, another UPS employee (“Witness-4”) saw DONALD SMITH on television news coverage of the January 6, 2021, riot and took photographs of their television. Witness-4 shared the photos with other employees, including Witness-3.2 According to Witness-3, the employees, including Witness-3, recognized DONALD SMITH in the photos based on a gray scarf he regularly wore to work. Witness-3 provided the photos to your affiant. Two of the photos provided by Witness-3 are shown below. The words “MURDER THE MEDIA” are written on the door that DONALD SMITH is walking past.
The FBI said that it obtained a search warrant of Smith’s phone and found that it pinged “from Lindenwold, New Jersey, to Carney’s Point, New Jersey, to Newark, Delaware, to Aberdeen, Maryland, to Baltimore, Maryland, to Silver Spring, Maryland, [and] ultimately arrived in Washington, D.C.” on the morning of Jan. 6. Then the phone returned in the opposite direction and arrived back in New Jersey that after 9 p.m. the same day, authorities added.
The DOJ said that Smith was taken into custody in Pennsylvania on Thursday and faces the following charges:
Knowingly Entering or Remaining in any Restricted Building or Grounds Without Lawful Authority
Disorderly and Disruptive Conduct in a Restricted Building or Grounds
Violent Entry and Disorderly Conduct on Capitol Grounds
Parading, Demonstrating or Picketing in a Capitol Building
Law&Crime reached out to UPS for comment.
[Images via FBI]
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