Nevada, Missouri locksmith charged for role in January 6 insurrection

 A Nevada man who dressed as George Washington when he entered the U. S. Capitol Building during the January 6 insurrection was released on his own recognizance today after a hearing in U. S. District Court in Springfield.

Isaac Yoder is charged with "knowingly entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds without lawful authority," "disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds," "disorderly conduct in a Capitol building," and "parading, demonstrating or picketing in a capitol building."

The charges were filed against Yoder after he was questioned by FBI agents in Joplin, according to the probable cause affidavit, which detailed the allegations.

The U.S. Capitol is secured 24 hours a day by U.S. Capitol Police. Restrictions around the U.S. Capitol include permanent and temporary security barriers and posts manned by U.S. Capitol Police. Only authorized people with appropriate identification were allowed access inside the U.S. Capitol. 

On January 6, 2021, the exterior plaza of the U.S. Capitol was also closed to members of the public. On January 6, 2021, a joint session of the United States Congress convened at the United States Capitol, which is located at First Street, SE, in Washington, D.C. 

On February 26, 2021, an online tip was submitted to the FBI National Threat Operations Center at tips.fbi.gov. The submitted tip stated, “I was made aware that an individual that works at Yoder locksmith in Nevada Missouri was involved in the storming of the Capitol on Jan 6th. 

"I am unsure of the gentleman’s first name but know the day of the event he was inside the Capitol and was dressed as George Washington.” 

Yoder Lock and Key is a business loctated in Nevada, Missouri. An open source internet review of the business website showed Isaac Yoder listed as the owner. The website listed a contact number of - 

Under the “About Us” portion of the website, a photographic image with a male in colonial period attire was captioned “Isaac & Kelly Yoder.” A screenshot of the image is below:

A Missouri driver’s license photo of Isaac Samuel Yoder was compared to social media data collected in the FBI Washington Field Office investigation of the January 6, 2021 Capitol riots. A comparative analysis of Yoder’s driver’s license photo to social media photographic data identified an image of a white male dressed in colonial attire standing beside a woman inside the United States Capitol Building on January 6, 2021. 

A comparison of Isaac Yoder’s drivers license photo, the Yoder Lock and Key website photo, and the male photographed in the U.S. Capitol were similar and believed to be the same individual. According to records obtained through a search warrant which was served on AT&T, on January 6, 2021, in and around the time of the incident, the cellphone associated with was identified as having utilized a cell site consistent with providing service to a geographic area that includes the interior of the United States Capitol building. 

On March 16, 2021, Isaac Yoder voluntarily agreed to be interviewed by FBI Special Agents at the Joplin Resident Agency in Joplin, Missouri. 

During the interview, Yoder admitted that he entered the United States Capitol Building on January 6, 2021. Yoder described how he learned from his family who went to the Trump rally with him that his brothers had been exposed to tear gas, and one was hit by rubber bullets. He told the agents he saw barricades and broken windows before he entered the Capitol. 

Yoder advised he entered the Capitol through a “west facing door.” He eventually made his way down a hallway to a rotunda housing numerous statues. 

Inside this area, Yoder said there were approximately two officers standing next to every statue. He described the situation appeared somewhat under control with law enforcement and people standing around. People were using their phones and photographing everything. He was sure that he was captured in multiple images from photographs taken inside the Capitol. Yoder stated he exited the same way he entered. 

At the interview, he brought with him his telephone and the colonial attire he wore on January 6, 2021, which matches the period attire of Yoder in the photograph below and on the U.S. Capitol Police Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) recordings. 

 On March 19, 2021, a Newsweek website article was published entitled “George Washington Says if Capitol Rioters wanted Trouble There’d Be ‘Piles of Bodies’” The article was an interview of Isaac Yoder who described his opinion of the January 6, 2021 riots and his presence inside the U.S. Capitol Building. 

In the article, Yoder admitted walking into the Capitol on January 6, 2021 through an “open door”, and that wearing the George Washington costume was a nod to America's founding.