EVERETT, Wash. — A Washington man was sentenced to three years probation and 200 hours of community service Friday for his role in the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol riot.
Joseph Zlab, arrested by the FBI in Everett in May 2021, was charged with knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building without lawful authority and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds. Zlab pleaded guilty to the charges in January.
In addition to probation and community service, Zlab was ordered to pay a $500 fine and $500 restitution.
A man matching Zlab's description was captured on video taken at the riot wearing a red baseball cap and a red jacket holding a yellow "Don't Tread on Me" flag, according to charging documents.
On Jan. 16, 2021, an anonymous tipster contacted the FBI stating they knew Zlab was in Washington, D.C. on the day of the riot. The tipster identified Zlab from a photograph taken inside the Capitol building, according to documents.
An investigator found the website for Zlab's business based in Everett, which included a picture of him. An FBI agent called Zlab, who confirmed he was in Washington D.C. for Trump's speech and participated in the march to the U.S. Capitol. Zlab told the FBI agent he circled the Capitol building taking pictures, according to documents.
When he was asked if he entered the Capitol building on Jan. 6 while Congress was certifying the election results, Zlab said he thought he "needed an attorney because he did not want to say anything incriminating," according to charging documents.
On April 8, the FBI obtained a search warrant for Zlab's Gmail account, which was linked to a phone number Zlab gave the FBI. Agents found pictures in a folder titled "January 6, 2021" of the inside of the U.S. Capitol. The FBI also found a picture stored on the account of the door to the House Appropriations Room.