x
Breaking News
More () »

North Texas woman arrested, faces criminal charges in U.S. Capitol riots, complaint says

The complaint included a picture of her posing in front of a broken window outside the U.S. Capitol building.

Updated at 6:09 p.m. to include information from the news conference.

A Carrollton woman has been arrested and faces federal charges after a criminal complaint was filed Friday, alleging she went into the U.S. Capitol during the riots on Jan. 6.

Jennifer "Jenna" Leigh Ryan was named in the complaint, filed by an FBI special agent. She was arrested Friday afternoon, according to the FBI.

The agent believes that Ryan violated two offenses, including knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or ground without authority, and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds, according to the complaint.

It alleges she took a private plane with others from Denton County to the Capitol and shared pictures and videos of her going inside the building during the siege.

The complaint alleges she was at the Capitol and includes screenshot photos of Ryan at Denton Municipal Airport, a Facebook Live where she was marching towards the Capitol and surveillance pictures of her inside the Capitol.

Credit: D.C. Capitol
The criminal complaint circled who the agent believes is Jenna Ryan.

The complaint, filed to a United States magistrate judge in Washington D.C., says Ryan was tagged in pictures on Monday, Jan. 5, with U.S. Trinity Aviation in Denton with the caption “we’re so excited! DC bound to #StoptheSteal.” She posted videos on her Facebook page that appear to be taken on a small private aircraft, which she was traveling with others to Washington D.C., the documents say.

RELATED: Grapevine man to be released while he awaits trial for charges related to US Capitol riot, judge rules

It also alleges that she posted another video with a caption saying they were going to storm the Capitol. She then allegedly posted a 21-minute long Facebook Live video of her and the group walking towards the Capitol, the complaint says. There was a picture of her posing in front of a broken window outside the U.S. Capitol building.

During the Facebook Live she said “Y’all know who to hire for your realtor. Jenna Ryan for your realtor,” according to the complaint.

One of her tweets said, "we just stormed the Capital [sic]."

Ryan would be the second North Texas resident arrested for involved in the riot at the Capitol. 

Grapevine resident Larry Brock has been released and is awaiting trial in federal court in Washington D.C. He has been charged on the same two counts as those listed on the complaint for Ryan.

The FBI provided an update on their efforts on Friday evening. You can watch the full briefing here: 

Matthew J. DeSarno said the FBI Dallas field office is continuing to try to identify people and said the office is still interested in people providing tips regarding the identities of those who were involved in the siege at the Capitol.

He says the office greatly relies on local law enforcement agencies, federal partners, but that they really rely on the public as well.

DeSarno urges anyone with information that can help the FBI identify those who were at the U.S. Capitol to call the Dallas FBI Field Office at 972-559-5000 or go to https://tips.fbi.gov/.

He said the office has already received 100,000 tips and pieces of digital media and that agents are "scouring every one."

"It was an attack on the institution of the U.S. government, an attack on Democracy," DeSarno said. "That's the way the FBI is treating it."

Before You Leave, Check This Out