A Florida woman wearing a scuba mask during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 has been arrested on felony and misdemeanor charges related to her conduct. Her actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election.
Lin Marie Carey, of Naples, Florida, is charged in a criminal complaint filed in the District of Columbia with obstruction of an official proceeding, a felony, and misdemeanor offenses of knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly conduct in a Capitol building, parading, picketing, and demonstrating in a Capitol building.
The FBI arrested Carey on Feb. 28, 2024, in Naples. She made her initial appearance in the Middle District of Florida.
According to court documents, Carey entered the Capitol building on Jan. 6, 2021, via the East Side Doors with a crowd of other rioters while wearing scuba goggles. In a video that she recorded after entering the Capitol, Carey stated, “We overtook the Capitol” and “We simply wanted to take our house back.” She added, “We want our republic back. We will not allow the Chinese to overtake the United States of America. We want to talk to Pelosi, we want to talk to Schumer, we want to talk to Pence.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting this case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida provided valuable assistance.
The FBI’s Tampa and Washington Field Offices are investigating this case. The U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department provided valuable assistance.
In the 37 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,313 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 469 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony. The investigation remains ongoing, according to law enforcement.
