Colts Neck Capitol Rioter Was White Supremacist At Work: Feds

COLTS NECK, NJ — An Army reservist from Colts Neck charged in the storming of the U.S. Capitol in January was regarded by many of his colleagues as a white supremacist and Nazi sympathizer who sported a "Hitler moustache," new filings in federal court allege.

Documents filed Friday reveal that the U.S. Navy conducted an internal investigation into Timothy Hale-Cusanelli, 30, who also worked as a security contractor at Naval Weapons Station Earle in Colts Neck. The Monmouth County man’s racist and sexist viewpoints were unveiled by colleagues through interviews conducted by the Naval Criminal Investigation Service, which found that 34 out of 44 co-workers noted Hale-Cusanelli’s "extremist or radical views pertaining to the Jewish people, minorities and women."

When asked about his ideology, colleagues “acknowledged that defendant was a white supremacist and/or gave examples, many of which were violent,” documents said. One co-worker recalled the defendant saying "‘babies born with any deformities or disabilities should be shot in the forehead.’" The same man recalled hearing Hale-Cusanelli saying that, if he were a Nazi, “he would kill all the Jews and eat them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and he wouldn’t need to season them because the salt from their tears would make it flavorful enough.”

Hale-Cusanelli would additionally approach "new people" and ask "You're not Jewish, are you?" in a manner that was "joking but not,” Assistant U.S. Attorney James B. Nelson wrote.

Documents go on to report that one officer heard the Colts Neck man say, "Jews, women, and Blacks were on the bottom of the totem pole." Another officer said they heard Hale-Cusanelli tell them that Jewish people "are ruining everything and did not belong here," according to the filing. Yet another officer recalled that Hale-Cusanelli said, "Hitler should have finished the job."

Investigators were told that the Colts Neck man made comments almost daily regarding Jews, called Black people “s--- skinned minorities” and had “issues with women.”

Evidence recovered from his cell phone reveals a string of anti-Semitic memes; Hale-Cusanelli posing with a “white power” hand symbol; and a picture of himself at a Black Lives Matter protest in which he held a clipboard “full of statistics” to be used in the hopes that someone would “‘debate him’ about the differences between the races,” court documents said. Other videos on his phone depicted Hale-Cusanelli backing the conspiracy theory that "the Jews did 9/11," with another allegedly recording himself saying, "I hate immigrants ... intensely."

One contractor mentioned that no one wanted to report Hale-Cusanelli to a supervisor because he was “crazy” and people were afraid he would retaliate against them, filings showed.

Previous coverage: No Release For Colts Neck 'White Supremacist' Charged In DC Riot

The new filings come as a result of a defensive effort for Hale-Cusanelli to be released from custody while awaiting trial. In court documents, Nelson wrote that the defendant “will obstruct or attempt to obstruct justice, or threaten, injure, or intimidate, or attempt to threaten, injure, or intimidate, a prospective witness” if released.

At Naval Weapons Station Earle, Hale-Cusanelli maintained a "secret" security clearance and has access to a variety of munitions, according to court documents. However, a spokesperson for the U.S. Navy confirmed to Patch that he has since been barred from the base. The Army Reserves is also reviewing his status, leaving prosecutors wary of Hale-Cusanelli's next move.

In his motion to keep Hale-Cusanelli detained, Nelson argued that the "defendant’s White Supremacist and Nazi Sympathizer ideology appears to be the driving force in his life” and advocated for Hale-Cusanelli’s continued detention.

Hale-Cusanelli has been indicted on seven courts related to the Jan. 6 insurrection, including obstructing an official proceeding, disorderly conduct in a Capitol building or grounds and obstructing law enforcement during a civil disorder. As of Friday, he hasn’t entered a plea.

Hale-Cusanelli was arrested over a decade ago as part of a group that allegedly used a potato launcher to shoot a frozen piece of corn at a Howell home in 2010, documents said. The potato launcher was marked with the words "WHITE IS RIGHT" and a Confederate flag icon. He was in possession of a “punch dagger” when arrested, authorities said.

Prior to his arrest in January 2021, he deleted his Facebook, Instagram and Twitter accounts, videos of his extremist views on his Based Hermes Show YouTube channel and hid the suit he wore to the Capitol insurrection. However, according to Nelson’s motion, Hale-Cusanelli has since denied being a Nazi sympathizer or holding white supremacist views in interviews with authorities following his arrest.

Nevertheless, the government maintains that Hale-Cusanelli would be a danger to the public if released.

“Without more, Defendant’s White Supremacist, Nazi Sympathizer ideology would not be grounds for pretrial detention,” Nelson wrote. “However, Defendant’s statements to [a confidential source] make it clear that his ideology is the driving force behind his stated desire for a Civil War. Given that Defendant’s desire for a civil war makes him a danger to the community, this Court can and must consider Defendant’s ideology within the context of his dangerousness.”

A detention hearing is set for March 23.