How A Meme Helped Feds Link BK Judge's Son To Capitol Siege

BROOKLYN, NY — A Brooklyn judge's son charged for his role in the U.S. Capitol riots on Tuesday was not happy when a photo of him in a fur coat and a police vest was turned into a viral meme last week, new court documents reveal.

The meme — which shows Aaron Mostofsky standing inside the Capitol with the police vest and shield he is now accused of stealing — became one of the final pieces of evidence that helped federal officials identify the Brooklynite before arresting him on Tuesday, according to the documents.

"Your famous," an Instagram user told Mostofsky the day after the riot, sending him the meme and misspelling "you're."

"IK [I know] unfortunately," Mostofsky replied. "...Cause now people actually know me."

The meme is captioned "Imagine coming off 10 hits of acid and u look around and ur in the U.S. Capitol like s***."

The conversation, revealed through a search warrant for Mostofsky's Instagram, confirmed to investigators that he is the person in the photo "wearing and holding property of U.S. Capitol Police," agents said.

Mostofsky was arrested at his brother's home in Flatbush on Tuesday and charged with theft of government property — for the police vest and shield — knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority, impeding government business or official functions, unlawful entry and disorderly conduct, according to the documents.

The U.S. Capitol Police riot shield and bullet-proof vest Mostofsky said he "found on the floor" are worth more than $2,000, according to the complaint.

Mostofsky first appeared on the FBI's radar when a video interview with him was published by the New York Post.

“We were cheated. I don’t think 75 million people voted for Trump — I think it was close to 85 million," Mostofsky tells the Post from inside the Capitol. "I think certain states that have been red for a long time turned blue and were stolen, like New York.”

Mostofsky also posted his own videos on Instagram of him on a bus headed toward the riot and from inside and outside of the Capitol building, prosecutors said.

In another Instagram conversation, he told a friend to "look for a guy looking like a caveman" so the two could find each other at the building, according to the documents.

Mostofsky, who is Judge Shlomo Mostofsky's son, made his first virtual appearance in court on Tuesday. A judge released him on a bond under an agreement that he not leave New York City or communicate with "known co-conspirators."

His attorney told the judge that he plans to show Mostofsky "was not part of the mob" and was simply "caught up" by the demonstration at the Capitol.

At least five people died during the riot as the pro-Trump mob overran barricades, assaulted police officers and breached the building, sending lawmakers into hiding over fear of more violence.

A spokesman for Mostofsky's father told the Daily News that the judge didn't know about his son's participation at the riots and does not have a close relationship with him.

“Justice Mostofsky has no knowledge of these unfortunate events,” the spokesman said.