Woodbridge Marine Charged In Jan. 6 Capitol Riot: Authorities

WOODBRIDGE, VA — A Marine officer who lived in Woodbridge and was stationed at Quantico has been charged in connection with the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, according to the Department of Justice. The Marine, Maj. Christopher Warnagiris, faces several federal charges.

Authorities said Warnagiris was one of many people who broke into the U.S. Capitol as a joint session of Congress counted and certified votes from the 2020 presidential election.

The charges faced by Warnagiris stem from an FBI investigation into the violence at the Capitol in January. In a news release, the U.S. Attorney's Office alleged that "Warnagiris violently entered the Capitol on Jan. 6, after pushing through a line of police officers guarding the East Rotunda doors."

The U.S. Attorney's Office said Warnagiris positioned himself in the doorway and pulled others into the Capitol. Authorities also accused Warnagiris of shoving a U.S. Capitol Police officer who tried to close the door.

The FBI's Washington Field Office identified Warnagiris through publicly available photos and security camera footage. In March, a member of the public recognized him in the footage as Warnagiris, according to authorities. Investigators said Warnagiris had been stationed at Quantico since the summer of 2020.

Warnagiris is charged with assaulting certain officers, obstruction of law enforcement during civil disorder, obstruction of justice, violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds, and knowingly entering a restricted building.