Capitol Insurrectionist from Palm Bay, Florida Charged by United States Attorneys | News Break
The United States Attorney’s Office in Orlando has charged a Palm Bay resident for allegedly taking part in the storming of the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021. Steve Omar Maldonado, of Palm Bay, aka Emilio, is being charged by United States Attorneys from the Middle District of Orlando with entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds and disorderly conduct.
Maldonado was apprehended at Orlando Airport on February 10, 2021. He was preparing to fly to Puerto Rico with his girlfriend. Emilio Maldonado was arrested by FBI agents and taken into custody. Maldonado’s father lived in Puerto Rico until his recent passing.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida supervised defendant Maldonado’s initial appearance on February 10, 2021. All cases related to the Capitol riot are being prosecuted by the Washington D.C. office of the United States Attorney since the offenses occured in the federal District of Columbia, but the Middle District of Florida was instrumental in Maldonado’s arrest and in transfer of his case to the federal docket.
Let’s take a look at how Maldonado ended up transfered from Florida to the custody of the federal District of Columbia. Maldonado arrived at the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C. at about 10:35 a.m. on the morning of January 6, 2021, He had just attended Trump’s Stop the Steal rally with a friend. Maldonado appears on video at and inside the Capitol wearing a white Make America Great Again hat and he is recorded on video carrying a blue Donald Trump flag. Trump’s supporters breached the Capitol building while a joint session of Congress was certifying the vote of the Electoral College to affirm Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 United States presidential election.
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents first interviewed Maldonado at his Palm Bay residence on February 3, 2021. Maldonado admitted to FBI agents he did enter the United States Capitol building on January 6, 2021. An FBI special agent filed the federal criminal complaint against Maldonado. The federal complaint was signed by United States Magistrate Judge Zia M. Faruqui on February 8, 2021.
Maldonado was released on $25,000 bond after his initial appearance on February 10, 2021. His release on bail included conditions. These conditions were Maldonado surrender his passport, firearm, and not leave the Middle District of Florida. Maldonado surrendered his passport to the United States Federal Court for the Middle District of Florida. Maldonado has had two prior misdemeanor charges against him dismissed.
Maldonado did not respond to requests for comment according to Florida Today. A man answering a number listed for Maldonado said he “maybe” was him before next saying he wasn’t him and then declined to comment, Florida Today watchdog reporter Alessando Marazo Sassoon has investigated Brevard residents who traveled to Washington, DC for the Trump inspired insurrection. Many of the people from Brevard who participated in the insurrection or protests at the nation’s capital, falsely allege Antifa were there and were the ones who infiltrated the crowd and committed the vandalism, all of which has been proven false according to the FBI:
Defendant Maldonado has been active on social media. His social media accounts reveals he works as a boat captain for a fishing and diving tour business on the Treasure Coast. On June 2, 2013, Malldonado started working at Treasure Coast Dive Charters. As a charter boat captain, he offers diving and spear fishing trips on the Treasure Coast in Florida. Maldonado also has a real estate sales associate license. His real estate sales license was issued on December 2019 and is valid through September 2021.
Although 57.6% of Brevard’s residents voted for Trump in 2020, most Brevardians agree the violence and vandalism at the United States Capitol was unaccceptable. It was also unlawful as Palm Bay resident Maldonado now knows due to his facing federal charges in DC federal court on February 12, 2021. Emilio Maldonado is the thirteenth (13th) Floridian facing federal charges for participation in the Capitol insurrection of January 6, 2021.
Sources:
Palm Bay man arrested in connection to Capitol Riot (floridatoday.com)
13th Floridian arrested for role in U.S. Capitol breach — NBC2 News (nbc-2.com)
Originally published at https://www.newsbreak.com.
