Local

Social media posts lead to charges, arrests after riot at US Capitol

ORLANDO, Fla. — Three men from Florida have been arrested following the riot at the U.S. Capitol this week.

Channel 9 political reporter Christopher Heath discovered more criminal cases filed in Washington D.C., as investigators comb through security video and social media.

Just hours before vandals stormed the U.S. Capitol, Marion County resident Michael Curzio posted on Facebook, “if anything happens -- we get (expletive) up, arrested, or killed -- just know I love you all and I did what I believed in.”

Read: Chaos at the Capitol: Biden says it’s a ‘good thing’ Trump won’t attend inauguration, Pence welcome

Hours later, he’d be arrested and charged with unlawful entry.

Curzio, like thousands of others on the grounds and in the Capitol that day, posted on social media. Now those posts are evidence.

The FBI has released pictures from social media to seek information about the riot.

And that’s not all.

Watch: Chaos at the Capitol: FBI search for man suspected of leaving pipe bombs

“The beauty is, this Capitol has cameras everywhere,” said Rep. Darren Soto, who represents Florida’s 9th District.

Soto said images weren’t just captured on social media - virtually all of the Capitol is covered by cameras.

“Those who did breach the grounds, who did things like break into the speaker’s office, they will be found they will be arrested, and they will be prosecuted,” Soto said.

Read: Here is a history of presidents who refused to attend successor’s inauguration

Since Thursday, more sealed criminal charges have been filed in the District of Columbia. Charges expected to range from trespassing or disrupting congressional operations to seditious conspiracy, a seldom-used charge that carries a 20-year prison sentence.

However, anyone involved in the mob who descended on the Capitol on Wednesday could get pardoned by President Donald Trump between now and Jan. 20.