Iowan Daryl Johnson, son to plead guilty to U.S. Capitol riot charges

A St. Ansgar man and his son will likely plead guilty to charges that they were involved in the U.S. Capitol riot on Jan. 6.

A trial status conference for the two, initially scheduled for Jan. 25, was canceled Tuesday and a plea hearing was instead scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Jan. 4 in District of Columbia District Court, according to court documents. The documents do not say to what charges the Johnsons will plead guilty.

Daryl Johnson and his son, Daniel, of Austin, Minn., were arrested in mid-June by the FBI and charged with one count each of entering and remaining in a restricted building, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building, violent entry and disorderly conduct in a Capitol building and parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building.

The FBI received a tip through its online portal that the Johnsons were both inside the Capitol building during the riot, according to charging documents released by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Daryl Johnson’s Facebook page was found to have several references in comments to being present at the Capitol during this time. Several of his comments claimed, “I was there.”

Investigation by the FBI found videos and photographs of Daryl Johnson and Daniel Johnson inside the Capitol building. Subjects identified both of the men in the footage.

Several articles of clothing that Daryl Johnson was wearing in posted photographs to Facebook were compared to the Capitol footage to further identify him.

The FBI received three additional tips that the Johnsons were involved at the Capitol on Jan. 6. One tip mentioned Daniel Johnson posting a video inside the Capitol on his Snapchat account. Another was from a St. Ansgar police officer who recognized Daryl Johnson as the son of that city's former mayor.

Daniel Johnson’s Facebook page also had multiple posts relating to being at the Capitol. A post on Jan. 7 showed the crowd near the U.S. Capitol and captioned “Couple thousand??? Lol try like 4 million people!!!”

The Johnsons were two of six Iowans charged for their involvement in the riot.