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Orange County resident Edward Jake Lang, age 26, of Newburgh, a Sullivan County native from Narrowsburg, was arrested in his hometown on Jan. 16 for participating in the riots and posting photos on social media.
It is alleged that Lang punched and kicked officers on Jan. 6 and beat them with a baseball bat and riot shield during the most heated moments of the riot.
Charges against Lang include:
- Assaulting officers;
- Civil disorder;
- Violent entry;
- Committing violence in the Capitol;
- Obstructing an official proceeding;
- Various other offenses.
According to multiple reports, despite the myriad charges levied against him, Lang plans to contest them in court, taking federal prosecutors to trial.
Lang had faced an estimated prison sentence of at least six-and-a-half years under the plea agreement he rejected.
According to investigators, Lang posted a video of himself, face bloodied, saying, “I ain’t done yet,” into the camera. The camera then pans to the Capitol building’s front steps where the crowd appears to be engaged in a violent standoff with authorities.
In a different post on social media, Lang describes watching “a woman die in front of” his eyes and accuses the Capitol City Police of murder.
FBI Special Agent LaNard Taylor said that Lang was identified by a childhood acquaintance prior to his arrest.
It is alleged that Lang also captioned a video of himself clashing with police with “arrest me. You are on the wrong side of victory.” In another video, Lang has been identified as one of the leaders at the front of a pack of rioters.
“In the video, Lang swung, thrusted, and/or jabbed the bat at law enforcement officers multiple times,” investigators stated. “In doing so, Lang struck at least the shields the officers held in front of them. As the video progresses, others in the crowd assist in the attack, with some throwing items and one individual spraying the officers with a fire extinguisher.”
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