Lawrence County woman charged in Capitol riot case

A Lawrence County woman was arrested Thursday for allegedly participating in January’s Capitol riots.

Julia Jeanette Sizer, of Ellwood City, is charged with knowingly entering a restricted building or grounds; disorderly conduct; and parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building.

She is not accused of damaging any property, harming any people or removing anything from the Capitol.

Sizer surrendered to federal investigators Thursday and will have an initial appearance in the afternoon before U.S. Chief Magistrate Judge Cynthia Reed Eddy.

According to the criminal complaint, the FBI National Threat Operations Center received a tip the day after the Jan. 6 riot that Sizer had participated, and that there was video of her in the Capitol building.

The person who submitted the tip received the video through a mutual friend after Sizer shared it herself, the complaint said.

When an FBI agent requested an interview with Sizer on Jan. 29, the complaint continued, Sizer denied being inside the Capitol. Following that phone call, an attorney representing Sizer called the agent.

In an interview on March 12 with Sizer and her attorney, Sizer admitted she was inside the Capitol, the complaint said. She also verified to investigators the clothing she wore that day, the area she was in and confirmed video that showed her there.

According to video footage retrieved from the Capitol, Sizer entered the building eight minutes after the initial surge forced the door. She remained in the foyer for less than three minutes before exiting.

Sizer is one of at least a dozen people from Western Pennsylvania charged in the insurgency, and more than 50 across the state.