Novi man charged in connection with Jan. 6 siege on U.S. Capitol

A Novi man has been charged with participating in the Jan. 6, 2021, siege at the U.S. Capitol, where a mob of protesters tried to stop the congressional certification of the 2020 presidential election.

Spencer Offman faces charges of entering a restricted building, disorderly conduct in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly conduct in a Capitol building and parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building.

Offman allegedly lied to FBI agents when he was first interviewed in May 2021 about being near the Capitol during the siege. Offman's phone data showed he was in the area, but he told investigators "when he witnessed individuals moving barricades and participating in violence, he realized those were not the same values he shared and left the parking lot by the Capitol," FBI Special Agent Joseph DeWan wrote in a court filing.

The investigation was closed after that interview until April 2022 when a tipster contacted the FBI and provided photos of Offman moving barricades at the Capitol, DeWan wrote.

Offman is among approximately 26 people from Michigan — and more than 1,100 nationwide — charged with crimes related to the insurrection, which involved supporters of former President Donald Trump breaking into the Capitol, ransacking offices, overwhelming and assaulting police officers and sending lawmakers into hiding as Congress tried to certify the 2020 Electoral College vote count.

The group includes former Republican gubernatorial candidate Ryan Kelley, who was sentenced to a 60-day federal prison sentence in a low-security prison in Wisconsin.

Offman was arrested Dec. 20 in Redmond, Washington.

A review of surveillance footage showed Offman entering the Capitol at 2:53 p.m. Jan. 6, 2021, through one of the broken windows in the Senate Wing and leaving at 2:59 p.m. through the same window, DeWan wrote. He did not go into any other rooms, according to the court filing.

Offman appeared to take several photos with the flash on of the crowd and a possible selfie when he pulled his red bandana down from his nose, DeWan wrote.

Photos show Offman outside the Capitol holding a metal barrier above his head and in various areas outside and inside the Capitol, according to authorities. While outside, Offman was bare-faced, but surveillance footage shows he put on a red bandana to cover his mouth and nose when he entered the Capitol through a broken window, the FBI said.

His court-appointed public defender, Sara Brin, did not immediately respond for comment. Offman was arraigned Tuesday in the U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia and was given a personal recognizance bond.

kberg@detroitnews.com