HELENA — Hank Muntzer of Dillon has been arrested following his travel and alleged entry into the U.S. Capitol during pro-Trump protests on January 6.
Muntzer was arrested on Monday by police in Dillon on a federal warrant.
Muntzer told the Dillon Tribune on January 13 that he went inside the U.S. Capitol Building on the day the violent riot occurred. Muntzer appeared to have also posted a video of himself at the U.S. Capitol on social media that has since been taken down. He also supplied to the Dillon Tribune a photograph of the protests outside the Capitol.
The paper says that Muntzer owns an appliance store in Dillon, which is covered with pro-Trump messages.
Muntzer, 52 years old, was charged in federal court in Missoula on Thursday with unlawful entry of restricted building or grounds, and disorderly conduct.
Judge Kathleen L DeSoto placed Muntzer on pretrial supervision. He is not allowed to have any firearms and is not allowed to travel outside of Montana unless he has to go to Washington, DC in connection with the charges. Judge DeSoto noted that the allegations were troubling and voiced concerns about releasing Muntzer.
His next court appearance has been scheduled for January 28 at 1 p.m. in a Washington, DC courtroom via Zoom.
The FBI has been asking for tips from the public about attendees at the rally and searching social media for potential suspects regarding the riot. Those riots left five people dead, including a Capitol Police officer who died from injuries sustained from the rioters.
