Judge orders Jan. 6 rioter to remain in prison until trial

A federal judge on Tuesday ordered a Pennsylvania man who allegedly assaulted a police officer during the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol to remain in prison until his trial.

As The Huffington Post reported, Magistrate Judge Robin Meriweather ordered Samuel Lazar, 35, to remain in prison until his trial during a hearing on Tuesday, saying he showed “complete disregard to the rule of law” and that the evidence against him was “overwhelming.”

The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced in July that Lazar had been arrested on federal charges after he was seen in video appearing to spray a chemical irritant on Capitol police officers.

Online commenters earlier this year dubbed Lazar #FacepaintBlowhard for the camouflage face paint he wore while at the Capitol on Jan. 6.

“They maced us, those tyrannical pieces of shit, and we maced them right the f— back and now they’re taking the building,” Lazar could be heard saying in a video.

According to the Post, Meriweather indicated that she had been considering home arrest for Lazar until new evidence arose earlier this month that appeared to show Lazar holding a gun after he had been convicted of unlawfully attempting to purchase a weapon.

LancasterOnline reported that Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas Collyer also brought up evidence he said he discovered on Monday night while going through Lazar’s Facebook page. Lazar had apparently shared a post that appeared to advocate for the execution of Democrats, Black Lives Matter members and antifa.

Collyer said that while Lazar had not written the words, he had “certainly adopted those words as his own.”

The judge said his past history of criminal offences along with his belief in the “big lie” that the 2020 presidential election had been stolen created a dangerous environment.

Lazar’s attorney David Benowitz indicated that they intended to appeal Meriweather’s decision, according to LancasterOnline.

A date for Lazar’s trial was not set during Tuesday’s hearing.