A Bridgeville man who livestreamed himself in the Crypt underneath the U.S. Capitol rotunda during the Jan. 6 attack there was arrested Tuesday morning.

Kenneth Grayson, 51, is charged with five federal counts, including knowingly entering a restricted building; disorderly conduct that impedes government business; disruptive conduct in the Capitol buildings; parading, demonstrating or picketing in the Capitol buildings; and obstructing or impeding an official proceeding, according to an affidavit filed in U.S. District Court in Pittsburgh.

An arrest warrant was signed Monday by U.S. Magistrate Judge Zia M. Faruqui in Washington.

Grayson appeared via video for an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lisa Pupo Lenihan in Pittsburgh on Tuesday afternoon. He will be held pending a detention hearing on Thursday.

According to the criminal complaint, the FBI received four separate tips that Grayson had livestreamed his involvement in the Jan. 6 riot. Three of those tips included the same image of Grayson inside the U.S. Capitol, standing in front of a statue and security camera in the Crypt, beneath the Capitol rotunda, the complaint said.

The tips showed that the person went by the name “Kenny Grayson” on Facebook, although the account was disabled by the company on Jan. 9. The investigation showed the account was registered to an email address attributable to Grayson and had been verified by four separate Pittsburgh-area phone numbers.

The FBI was further able to identify Grayson through a photo he sent to his family at 10:37 a.m. Jan. 6 standing in front of the Washington Monument, according to the complaint. In that photo, Grayson is shown to be wearing a black Pittsburgh Pirates cap and a black hooded sweatshirt with a yellow letter Q on the right lapel, which agents said refers to QAnon. He was also carrying a Gadsden flag.

The complaint states that an unidentified witness, who was interviewed by agents on Jan. 17, said that they saw Facebook postings by Grayson the day of the riot and took screenshots of them. The report says Grayson’s livestream began at 2:22 p.m., and the screenshot provided to investigators was taken 50 minutes later when he was inside the Capitol.

Using surveillance video from inside the Crypt, the FBI was able to confirm Grayson was there, the complaint said. “Grayson can be identified in both still-frame images based upon his clothing and the flag that he is carrying,” the agent wrote.

The affidavit stated that, by using a similar method — clothing and the flag he was carrying, the FBI was able to track Grayson’s movements.

FBI According to an affidavit filed in U.S. District Court in Pittsburgh, the FBI was able to track Kenneth Grayson of Bridgeville as he moved about through the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2020.  

Investigators also obtained messages Grayson exchanged with family members or friends that day, the complaint said.

At 3:06 p.m., someone wrote to Grayson, “‘Kenny, get to [sic] hell out of there. Its a federal offense to be in there.’”

Then, at 3:50 p.m., someone else wrote, “’Kenny they’re in the Senate chamber! Can you get in anywhere??TAKE PHOTOS!!! TAKE DOCUMENTS!!’”

The criminal complaint also said Grayson had traveled to Washington, D.C., in mid-November and in mid-December for rallies in support of then President Donald Trump.

Following the November trip, Grayson sent private messages to another person about violent actions he took there, the affidavit said.

“’We were smashing bro..went to the van I rented and geared up..had to leave at 7pm though, it wasn’t really bad yet..I was beating commies with a flag pole I picked up and looked like it wasn’t going to be that bad Proud Boys were everywhere..cops weren’t doing a [expletive] thing watching old people get [expletive] with it was sickening.”

He also wrote, “I left one unconscious so I did my little part and got the [expletive] out before I got arrested”

Then, in a Dec. 23 message, he wrote, ”’…Ok well we have room for the road trip..I’m sick of these [expletive] posers on FB big tough guys always talking about their guns and tempers and ooo scary guy [expletives] U !! I’m on the front line every time [expletive]! This [expletive] isn’t a [expletive] game to me , or some social media [expletive] story time !! I’m there for the greatest celebration of all time after Pence leads the Senate flip!! OR IM THERE IF TRUMP TELLS US TO STORM THE [expletive] CAPITAL IMA DO THAT THEN! We don’t want any trouble but they are not going to steal this election that I guarantee bro!!’”

In a separate filing Tuesday, Assistant U.S. Attorney Soo Song requested that Grayson be detained pending trial. In the request, she told the court that she believes Grayson is a flight risk and that no combination of conditions can ensure community safety.

Court-appointed defense attorney Stanley Greenfield said that his client has a significant other and a job for which he receives a monthly salary.

Grayson told the court that he takes care of his 76-year-old father who is a retired police officer, as well as his 74-year-old mother.

“My whole life is based right here, and there’s no threat of my leaving or doing anything,” he said. “I have a pretty basic, humdrum life.”

Outside of speaking to Greenfield, Grayson said he hadn’t talked to anyone since his arrest.

“I’m here alone,” he said. “I haven’t gotten to speak to anybody.”

Grayson was to be transported to an area jail to be held pending his detention hearing on Thursday.

Two other Western Pennsylvania men have also been charged for the Capitol attacks.

They include Jorden Mink, 27, of Oakdale, who is accused of climbing through a broken window and then trying to smash another window with a baseball bat, and Matthew Perna, 36, of Sharon.

Perna is charged with entering a restricted building and disorderly conduct.

There is a detention hearing for Mink on Friday.

Grayson has twice before been convicted of simple assault — once in 2007 and again in 2011. In both instances, he was ordered to serve probation.

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