James Allen Mels biography: 13 things about US Capitol riot suspect from Shelby Township, Michigan

James Allen Mels is a white man from Michigan, United States. Here are 13 more things about him:

1. He lives in Shelby Charter Township, Macomb County, Michigan. (a)
2. On February 10, 2015, he registered as a voter in Shelby Charter Township. (b)
3. He believed that the 2020 U.S. presidential election was fraudulently decided. (c)
4. On January 6, 2021, he said a prayer before entering the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C., USA . That day, Donald Trump supporters breached the building while a joint session of Congress was certifying the vote of the Electoral College and affirming Joe Biden‘s victory in the 2020 presidential election. (c)
5. He said he traveled to the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, with 11 other individuals who he referred to as like-minded patriots he met through online platforms including The Patriot Hour and X-22. (c)
6. On January 25, 2021, Federal Bureau of Investigation task force officers interviewed him at his residence. He told them that he entered the U.S. Capitol building on January 6, 2021 with the intent of speaking with an officer to present his copy of the U.S. Constitution and have his voice heard. (c)
7. An FBI special agent filed a criminal complaint against him, which was signed by U.S. Magistrate Judge Zia M. Faruqui on February 10, 2021. (c)
8. On February 11, 2021, FBI agents arrested him in Michigan. (a)
9. He was 56 years old when he was arrested on February 11, 2021. He appeared in a virtual hearing before the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan in Detroit, Michigan and was released on a $10,000 unsecured bond with conditions. He was prohibited from possessing firearms and travelling outside the eastern portion of Michigan and to Washington, D.C. except for court-related reasons. He waived his right to a preliminary examination. He was also required to submit to drug testing and surrender his passport and enhanced drivers license. (a) (d)
10. For his participation in the U.S. Capitol riot on January 6, 2021, he was charged with violent entry and disorderly conduct at the U.S. Capitol and with knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority. (a)
11. He is represented by Jonathan Epstein. (a)
12. Epstein described him as a good man with solid background, work and family that supported his release on an unsecured bond. He will answer to the charges related to the U.S. Capitol riot on January 6, 2021 in Washington, D.C., according to the lawyer. (a)
13. He is scheduled to appear in court on February 22, 2021. (d)

(This is a developing story. More details are being added.)

SOURCES:

• a. Detroit Free Press
• b. Michigan Resident Database
• c. U.S. Department of Justice
• d. MLive

If you have information about someone who participated in the U.S. Capitol riot on January 6, 2021, call 1-800-CALL-FBI. You may also submit relevant photos and videos to the FBI.