Capitol Police Officer Accused of Advising Jan. 6 Rioter to Hide Evidence

A U.S. Capitol Police officer was indicted on charges of obstruction of justice after prosecutors say he advised an alleged rioter to hide evidence of their involvement in the Jan. 6 insurrection.

Prosecutors allege that the officer, Michael A. Riley, tipped off someone who participated in the riot by advising them to remove incriminating posts from Facebook that had shown the person inside the Capitol during the attack.

The indictment against Riley also details how the 25 year veteran of the Capitol Police responded to a report of a pipe bomb on Jan. 6.

In a message Riley later sent the person on Facebook, he allegedly revealed that he was an officer with the police force who “agrees with your political stance.”

Riley allegedly sent dozens of messages to the unidentified person, advising them to remove incriminating photos and videos from social media and informing them on how the FBI was investigating and identifying rioters.