FBI Investigation: Falkville man arrested on Jan. 6 Capitol riot charges

FALKVILLE, Ala. (WAFF) - A Falkville man was arrested Wednesday morning for multiple charges tied to the January 6 riots.

The arrest of Bobby Wayne Russell happened as part of an ongoing investigation at a home near Falkville High School. Russell’s wife was mentioned by name and shown in pictures within court documents but she has not been arrested on any charges.

When asked about the FBI and law enforcement presence in the area, the Morgan County Schools Superintendent said that the investigation has no impact on the school.

“I can confirm that we were there as part of a court-authorized law enforcement activity. As this is part of an ongoing investigation, I wouldn’t be able to comment further,” an FBI spokesperson said.

Court documents confirm Russell was booked on the following charges:

• Assaulting, Resisting, or Impeding Certain Officers
• Civil Disorder
• Entering and Remaining in a Restricted Building or Grounds
• Disorderly and Disruptive Conduct in a Restricted Building or Grounds
• Engaging in Physical Violence in a Restricted Building or Grounds
• Act of Physical Violence in the Capitol Grounds or Buildings

Court documents show that the FBI sent a search warrant to Google to obtain the ID of Russell’s electronic device. The search warrant also gave the FBI GPS information for the device which showed the device accessed Wi-Fi and Bluetooth access points in the Capitol.

The GPS information from Google shows that the device owned by Russell was on restricted grounds of the Capitol during the Capitol riots.

The FBI then obtained records from AT&T that show the mobile device was registered to Russell and showed a Falkville address.

On Jan. 19, Russell posted a picture of him and his wife standing in front of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. In the picture, Russell is wearing the same outfit that is seen in pictures of him during the riots.

The court documents show that the FBI viewed the pictures believed to be Russell along with Russell’s Alabama driver’s license and determined they were the same person.

Documents show Russell holding onto the guard rails before eventually helping to push them over. Once he broke through the barriers, Russell grabbed a police officer’s jacket and pushed him to the ground.

The documents say, “Corporal J.B. stated he remembered Russell because prior to the police’s push to clear the area, Russell said to the police, ‘There’s more of us than you guys, you’re gonna lose.”

Russell is also quoted as saying, “I’m not scared of you and I’m not weak,” after officers with riot shields pushed and urged people to leave the area.

On August 24, he appeared in court and was released pending further proceedings in the District of Columbia, including a virtual hearing tentatively set for Sept. 1.

In April 2022, fellow Falkville resident, Lonnie Coffman was sentenced to 46 months in prison for his involvement in the Jan. 6 Capitol riots.

Over the 19 months since the Capitol riots, more than 860 individuals have been arrested and at least 260 have been charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement.

Copyright 2022 WAFF. All rights reserved.