McKees Rocks business owners charged with storming Capitol, stealing police gear

A couple who owns a McKees Rocks contracting company was arrested on Friday with rioting in the U.S. Capitol in January — including kicking a door and stealing protective masks from a police bag.

Debra Maimone, 27, and Philip Vogel II, 33, who operate Vera General Contracting and Cleaning Services, are charged with theft of property, knowingly entering a restricted building, and violent entry and disorderly conduct.

The suspects, who are engaged, were both released on Friday on a $10,000 unsecured bond by U.S. Magistrate Judge Lisa Pupo Lenihan.

As part of the conditions of release, neither defendant can have a firearm, the judge said. Maimone said she had two guns that are in the possession of Vogel’s brother.

They are the eighth and ninth people from the Western District of Pennsylvania to be charged in the Capitol attack — out of at least 29 from the state and more than 300 overall, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Maimone and Vogel, of New Castle, were inside the Capitol Crypt at 2:30 p.m. on Jan. 6, according to a criminal complaint filed Friday in U.S. District Court in Pittsburgh. The FBI said Maimone posted a video on the social media site Parler.

The videographer, identified as Vogel, panned the camera around the Capitol Crypt, showing Maimone and others, the complaint said.

“As the camera arrived on Maimone’s face, she removed her distinctive American flag mask and stated, in sum and substance: ‘IT’S AMAZING,’ ” the FBI wrote in the complaint. “The unseen Vogel admonished Maimone, stating in sum and substance: ‘PUT YOUR MASK ON. I DON’T WANT THEM TO SEE YOU.’ ”

Maimone can be seen in the Parler video wearing a “God, Guns, Trump” sweatshirt with a green hat, according to the FBI.

Surveillance taken from inside the Capitol about 2:38 p.m. shows Vogel and Maimone together near a group of people “pushing through law enforcement and forcing open a door,” the FBI said.

At 2:42 p.m., Vogel can be seen kicking an office door, the complaint said. A minute later, the FBI said, Maimone put a gas mask into Vogel’s backpack, and then helped another person put a gas mask in his backpack and gave him thumbs up.

At 2:47 p.m., surveillance video shows Vogel and Maimone pick up a bag “clearly marked POLICE,” rummage through it and take silver packages from it, the FBI wrote.

“According to U.S. Capitol Police, the silver packages contain escape hoods, which are a form of personal protective equipment (PPE) designed to protect the wearer from chemical agents, biological agents, nuclear or radiological particles and toxic industrial chemicals for a short period of time. The silver packages depicted in the CCTV footage were procured by the US Senate Sergeant-at-Arms for emergency use by people authorized to be in the Capitol for work or permitted visit,” the complaint said.

In attempting to identify Vogel, the FBI said they were able to match his voice from the video inside the Capitol with a news story from KDKA in October when he had to be rescued when a fishing boat capsized in the Ohio River.

In addition, tattoos on his hand match ones seen in the KDKA interview, the complaint said.

The FBI said Vogel also posted a picture on a Facebook page registered to “Flip Vogel,” on Jan. 7 that shows him with a fish that reads “Got this monster in the Potomac.”

A hat and scarf he was wearing in that picture matched images of him from the Capitol the day before, the complaint said.

In the days after the Capitol attack, the FBI said both Vogel and Maimone defended the attack on the Capitol on social media.

“The people being arrested are law abiding, tax paying citizens,” Vogel wrote on Facebook. “From construction workers, business owners and real estate agents to cops, lawmakers, Olympians, and so many more! By pushing a [expletive] narrative that they all followed a couple clueless idiots that were there just to say there were is a huge disservice to those that took a stand that day.

“They are tyrants. These [people] took a stand against tyrants no matter where or who they were.”

About 10:30 p.m. on Jan. 6, Maimone had a discussion with someone on her Parler account — her user name is TrumpIsYourPresident1776.

The person wrote to her: “So you were illegally occupying a government building.”

“’I’m not saying that you stupid couch potato,” Maimone responded. “I’m saying I was at the government building FULL OF TYRANTS and I WATCHED A TON of patriots that were fed up with being shot at flash banged and gassed for trying to peacefully protest! AND THEY TOOK THE CAPITAL THAT IS THE HOME OF THE PEOPLE AND PAYED [sic] FOR BY THE PEOPLE!”

The person responded: “The FBI digital team will be arresting all who illegally entered the DC Capital. It carries a 10 year prison sentence FYI.”

Maimone answered: “Lmao yaaaaaaaaaa sure thing buddy! Good thing I wasn’t in there. Although I support all the Americans that did their duty that day! We’ll see how many ten year sentences are handed down to those that were in there! Smh now I’ll let you get back to watching your CNN!”