Fifth Bucks County Resident Charged In Capitol Riot

FEASTERVILLE, PA — Federal authorities have charged a Bucks County man with obstructing an official proceeding, entering restricted building and grounds and disorderly conduct in connection with the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

Leonard Pearso Ridge IV, of Feasterville, was arrested Friday by federal agents more than four months after they were first tipped off by one of Ridge's Snapchat friends, according to an affidavit.

Three days after the riot, FBI agents received a tip from a witness who said they had received a Snapchat video showing Ridge inside the Capitol building during the mayhem.

Agents were also able to obtain text exchanges between Ridge's Snapchat account and one of the witnesses who came forward:

USER1: Yoooo you legend
Bro someone just got shot in the neck there
Be careful bro you probably heard it but don’t know if u saw it

pearce_ridgez: I saw it
Yeah f—ing nuts
I just made history
USER1: You are good, right bro?
pearce_ridgez: I got tear gased [sic] and maced five times

Later in the conversation, Ridges admits to storming the Capitol building.

The Feasterville resident is the fifth Bucks County resident to be charged in connection with the Jan. 6 events.

The four people charged from Bucks County include: Dawn Bancroft, owner of a Cross Fit gym in Plumstead Township; Raechel Genco, a 38-year-old woman from Bristol Borough; Ryan Stephen Samsel, a 37-year-old Bristol man and Genco's boyfriend, who is accused of assaulting a police officer; and Diana Santos-Smith, of Doylestown.

They were among hundreds of protesters who violently breached the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 with the intention of overturning the 2020 election results. Five people died in the riots, including Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick.

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