Prosecutors say a Washington, DC-area Uber driver reached out to the FBI in January 2021 to share information about an apparent rioter. The driver told investigators that a passenger acknowledged tearing down a barricade at the US Capitol immediately following the siege on January 6, 2021.
The driver, who identified the passenger only as "Jerry" at the time, said the man had a white beard and a visible injury near his right eye. The driver said Braun was picked up about a mile from the US Capitol grounds and dropped off at a hotel in Arlington, Virginia.
A portion of Braun's ride was captured on video by a dash cam in the Uber, according to court documents, during which the driver engaged Braun in conversation about the siege.
"So, has it been violent all day?" the driver asked, according to prosecutors.
"Well, it started around right when I got there," Braun responded. "I tore down the barricades."
"You did?" the driver asked. "Why?"
"Well, because, so we could get to the Capitol," Braun replied.
"Well, how'd that work out for ya?" the driver responded.
"
Well, it looks like, uh, Biden's gonna be our president," Braun said.
Investigators used Braun's hotel reservation and license to confirm that he was indeed the same man in the Uber dash cam video, prosecutors said. Agents then set out to find more video and photographic evidence of Braun's conduct during the riot.