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(Tribune News Service) — A Wright-Patterson Air Force Base employee living in Beavercreek, Ohio, is accused of illegally entering the U.S. Capitol during a riot on Jan. 6.

Jared Samuel Kastner, 24, was charged with entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly conduct in a capitol building and parading, demonstrating or picketing in a capitol building, according to federal court records.

Luke Faulkner, who lives in Blanchester, on the Clinton and Warren counties border, also faces the same charges.

Kastner is an employee with the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, according to a AFLCM spokesman. He remains employed there as of Tuesday.

He was arrested in Beavercreek on Dec. 8 after a search warrant was filed for his Glen Meadow Way residence. He has since been released from jail.

While investigating the riot, the FBI identified a gmail account and phone number that was at the Capitol on Jan. 6 and associated with Kastner. Records from Google placed the device associated with the account inside the Capitol from 2:14 to 2:52 p.m., according to court records.

FBI agents reportedly used Kastner's driver's license photograph to compare to images and videos from the Capitol. Kastner's former supervisor identified Kastner in two images from Jan. 6, according to federal court documents.

An investigator also identified Kastner in surveillance footage from inside the Capitol walking through the Senate Wing door at 2:17 p.m., according to court records. Kastner was reportedly with Faulkner, who was also charged with illegally entering the Capitol.

Phone records matched a number associated with Faulker as one of Kastner's most frequent contacts, according to documents.

Another video reportedly showed Kastner, Faulker and a third, unidentified person inside the Capitol's Crypt.

Location information obtained via Google records showed Kastner traveled from Beavercreek to Wilmington, Ohio, on Jan. 4, according to federal court documents. After approximately an hour, he reportedly left and traveled to an apartment complex in North Beach, Md.

The FBI interviewed a resident of the apartment, who confirmed Kastner and another person stayed at their apartment.

"On Jan. 6, Kastner and the second individual notified [the resident] that they were traveling into Washington D.C. to attend the Trump rally," court records read.

Around 5:20 a.m. on Jan. 6, Kastner left the apartment complex and went to Washington, D.C. He left the city around 4:15 p.m.

Kastner reportedly stopped at the Wilmington address around 12:15 a.m. Jan. 7 and left around 8:30 a.m. Around 11:40 a.m. he went to an address in Blanchester that matched Faulkner's residence, according to court records.

(c)2021 the Journal-News (Hamilton, Ohio)

Visit the Journal-News (Hamilton, Ohio) at www.journal-news.com

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