Fil-Am who breached the US Capitol with a walis tambo pleads guilty in court
A Filipino-American who brought a walis tambo to the violent U.S Capitol riot last January 2021 has pleaded guilty for Parading, Demonstrating, and Picketing the Washington D.C. building.
Kene Brian Lazo of Virginia pleaded guilty to the misdemeanors after a failed attempt by Donald Trump supporters to prevent Congress from certifying Joe Biden's victory in the November 2020 presidential election.
Along with fellow heated Trump supporters, Lazo stormed the meeting place of the United States Congress brandishing a walis tambo with the words "Coup Flu Fighter" written on it.
Other right-wing propaganda lines written on the broom were "False Media = Coup, Mail-In Fraud = Coup, Extremist Groups = Coup, Pandemic Hoax = Coup."
Lazo's offense has a maximum penalty of six months in prison.
In the viral photos by AFP's Saul Leob, Lazo can also be seen wearing tactical gear such as goggles and gloves. An American flag was draped around his shoulders while his other hand held a mobile phone to record the events.
His selfies and social media photos led to his capture, as he was ultimately identified by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for the helmet he wore with the name of his company, Rodbustars.
Lazo had shared the selfie to a right-wing Facebook group named the "Fam Council" where he was also an administrator.
Philstar.com news editor Jonathan de Santos also found Lazo through social media and shared pictures, saying the protester is from Ilocos Sur.
Walis Man was pretty easy to find on Facebook and is apparently from Ilocos Sur. pic.twitter.com/RyyKkEA21u
— Jonathan de Santos (@desamting) January 7, 2021
Per courtroom news site lawandcrime.com, Lazo is also facing numerous separate charges of rape, aggravated sexual harassment of a minor under 13 years of age, assault, and battery of a family member.
Meanwhile, Trump was impeached for a second time by the House after the January Capitol riot but was shortly acquitted by the Senate. Before Biden's inaguration, Trump had falsely claimed numerous times that the election was stolen from him.
Aside from Lazo, over 775 people have been arrested in connection with the events of that day. The Capitol siege left at least five people dead and 140 police officers injured.