HARRISBURG — A Pennsylvania man who boasted of macing police at the breach of the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6 insurrection is facing federal charges.
Agents detained Samuel Lazar, 37, Monday in Ephrata, on charges of assaulting police and obstruction of law enforcement, according to court filings unsealed Tuesday.
Court records do not list a lawyer for Lazar.
In April, LNP/LancasterOnline reported that it had identified Lazar as Suspect 275 from photos issued by the FBI of its most wanted insurrectionists.
As Capitol police testify about their assaults on Jan. 6th, federal prosecutors charge a Pennsylvania man dressed in paramilitary gear with assaulting police with chemical spray. pic.twitter.com/tvA0HexAnM
— Adam Klasfeld (@KlasfeldReports) July 27, 2021
Online sleuths nicknamed him “Face Paint Blowhard” for his distinctive Jan. 6 outfit, including a tactical vest and goggles and his face painted in camouflage, appearing in photos and videos circulated on social media from the attack.
In them, he can be seen pulling away barricades, shouting in officers’ faces, using a megaphone to guide the mob forward and helping others use a large Trump sign as a battering ram against police, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported.
A Lancaster County man with ties to GOP lawmaker Doug Mastriano has been arrested on Capitol riot charges.
— The Philadelphia Inquirer (@PhillyInquirer) July 27, 2021
Despite being positively identified, Samuel Lazar remained free for months and continued to appear at events hosted by political figures.https://t.co/Wf5BWNN6Wx
In videos, Lazar is seen spraying what appears to be a “chemical irritant” at officers, and then later boasting about having “maced” them, according to court papers.
Lazar has been a regular at “Stop the Steal” and “Reopen Pennsylvania” rallies over the past 15 months.
In May, he showed up in photos at a fundraiser for state Sen. Doug Mastriano headlined by Rudy Giuliani — who, like Mastriano, has helped spread former President Donald Trump’s baseless falsehoods that the election was rigged against him.
In photos from the event, Lazar is seen posing alongside Mastriano and other GOP election skeptics including Senate hopeful Kathy Barnette of Montgomery County, state Rep. Stephanie Borowicz of Wayne Township and Teddy Daniels, who is running to represent portions of Northeast Pennsylvania in Congress.
Mastriano, responding to the photos, has since denied knowing Lazar and publicly condemned his actions at the Capitol in a statement.
“Why would you assume that every politician who takes a picture with someone at an event automatically knows who they are or agrees with what they believe?” he wrote.
