A Derby alderman, who is also a mayoral candidate, turned himself in Tuesday afternoon to face charges related to his presence inside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Gino DiGiovanni Jr., 42, faced a judge in federal court in New Haven.
He is charged with two counts of entering a restricted building, one count of disorderly conduct inside a Capitol building, and one count of parading, demonstrating, or picketing inside a Capitol building.
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He was not an alderman at the time of the riot at the U.S. Capitol but was later elected to the position. He is now running for mayor of Derby.
NBC Connecticut Investigates spoke to DiGiovanni after a board meeting on Oct. 13, 2022 and he confirmed he went to the Capitol after attending then-President Donald Trump's "Stop the Steal" rally a short distance away.
Investigations
It was after that NBC CT Investigates report aired, that the FBI began its investigation into DiGiovanni.
Open source surveillance video showed DiGiovanni entered the Upper West Terrace door of the Capitol around 2:38 p.m.
The complaint says he was in the Capitol for around 25 minutes and was seen in the rotunda and Statuary Hall.
He told NBC Connecticut Investigates he didn't see any violence or commit any acts of violence when he was there.
"Like I said to you, when I got there, there was Capitol Police at the door. And the doors were open. I walked in,” DiGiovanni said last October.
During an interview on Jan. 10, 2023, he told investigators that he went to Washington, D.C. alone to see Trump’s last speech while in office, the complaint says.
The judge ordered DiGiovanni to stay away from Washington, D.C., except for his legal proceedings. He also must turn over his weapons and turn over his passport to his attorney.
