'My decision to enter the Capitol was wrong': Inverness, Roselle men charged after Capitol riot
An Inverness man and a Roselle man were among the dozens arrested after Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol Wednesday, forcing Congress to stop counting the Electoral College votes confirming Joe Biden's status as president-elect.
Bradley F. Rukstales of Inverness was arrested and charged with unlawful entry, according to a news release from the U.S. Capitol Police. WBEZ reported that Rukstales is the chief executive officer of the consulting company Cogensia, which is based in Schaumburg.
“In a moment of extremely poor judgment following the Jan. 6 rally in Washington, I followed hundreds of others through an open set of doors to the Capitol building to see what was taking place inside,” Rukstales said in a statement released Thursday night. “My decision to enter the Capitol was wrong, and I am deeply regretful to have done so,” Rukstales said. “I condemn the violence and destruction that took place in Washington."
A company spokeswoman told WBEZ that Rukstales has been put on a leave of absence pending the company's investigation of the matter.
“Brad was acting as an individual, not as CEO of Cogensia” when he was arrested, the spokeswoman told the radio station. “We're taking it very seriously.”
David Fitzgerald, a tattoo artist from Roselle, faces curfew violation and unlawful entry charges. Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser had imposed a curfew from 6 p.m. Wednesday until 6 a.m. Thursday.
Fitzgerald posted about the protests on his Facebook page multiple times Wednesday.
The Metropolitan Police department made 68 arrests between Wednesday night and Thursday morning, according to tweets from the department.