Warrant: Belmont home of Proud Boys member searched as part of U.S. Capitol breach investigation

BELMONT, N.C. (WBTV/AP) – The Belmont home of a high-level member of the extremist group Proud Boys was searched last month by the FBI in connection with the investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol breach, warrants state.

According to court documents filed in the U.S. District Court for the western district of North Carolina, a search warrant was issued March 7 in the District of Columbia for Jeremy Bertino’s home in Belmont and his person, “in furtherance of a domestic terrorism investigation.”

The next day, a search of Bertino’s home led to the discovery of several firearms, authorities said.

Re-doing thread on Jeremy Bertino, the high level Proud Boy who lives in Belmont, N.C. to clean up several things. Bertino's home was searched by the FBI last month in connection to US Capitol breach, according to this warrant #ncpol pic.twitter.com/hvOt0FcqWJ
— Nick Ochsner (@NickOchsnerWBTV) April 20, 2022

Thousands of rounds of ammunition and gun accessories were also seized, court records state.

According to the warrant, Bertino was arrested for first-degree reckless endangerment in the state of New York, along with related misdemeanor charges and infractions, on Sept. 2, 2003.

In 2004, he was convicted of the reckless endangerment charge and sentenced to five years’ probation, with a period of local jail time, court documents state.

“As of February 5, 2021, Bertino had not been pardoned by the Governor of New York or had his firearm privileges restored by the State of New York,” the warrant states.

The FBI is requesting DNA and fingerprint samples from Bertino to determine if they match fingerprints or DNA samples on the firearms seized from his home, as agents said there is probable cause to believe he violated federal criminal statutes, including felon in possession of a firearm.

Bertino is not facing any charges related to the U.S. Capitol breach as of Wednesday, April 20.

According to the Washington Post, Bertino was stabbed after a rally in support of former President Donald Trump on Dec. 12, 2020 in D.C.

On the morning of Jan. 6, Proud Boys members met at the Washington Monument and marched to the Capitol before President Trump finished addressing thousands of supporters near the White House.

Around two hours later, just before Congress convened a joint session to certify the election results for President Joe Biden, a group of Proud Boys followed a crowd of people who breached barriers at a pedestrian entrance to the Capitol grounds, according to one of the indictments. Several Proud Boys also entered the Capitol itself after the mob smashed windows and forced open doors, the indictment says.

Since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 775 people have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, officials said.