Capitol Riot: State Department Security Officer Arrested

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox

Get our free Inside Washington email

Former US State Department Contractor Criminally Charged in Connection with Capitol Attack

A former contractor for the US Department of State has been charged in connection with the January 6 attack on the US Capitol. Kevin Alstrup of Washington DC was arrested and charged with four misdemeanour offences on 6 February.

Alstrup’s Role and Evidence Against Him

According to an FBI affidavit, Alstrup was employed by the State Department as a “diplomatic security officer” at the time of the riots. Surveillance footage and still images from livestreams included in the charging documents show Alstrup inside the US Capitol during the siege. He is also pictured in livestream footage from far-right troll and convicted rioter Anthime “Baked Alaska” Gionet.

Alstrup’s alleged social media accounts also posted images from outside the Capitol, according to court documents. FBI agents determined that he spent roughly half an hour inside, where he appeared to be photographing rioters entering the building through broken windows. He was later captured in body-worn camera footage from law enforcement officers outside the building.

Identification and Status

Agents used a Gmail address and Google location data associated with a device on Capitol grounds to identify Alstrup. He no longer works for the State Department, and his exact cessation date is unknown. The agency stated that he was a “third-party contractor providing uniformed officer services for the State Department.” His employer Inter-Con Security Systems Inc told NPR that it “was just made aware of these allegations today” and “takes these matters very seriously and declines to comment on active legal matters”.

Repercussions and Similar Cases

Over 1,300 people have been charged with crimes connected to the Capitol riot. In a similar case, a former Trump-era State Department appointee, Frederico “Freddie” Klein, was sentenced to nearly six years in prison for his role in the attack. Klein was convicted on eight felony counts, including assault, civil disorder, and obstruction of an official proceeding. Prosecutors stated that he “waged a relentless siege on police officers,” as he pushed through law enforcement outside the Capitol. Video evidence showed him using a police riot shield to attack officers.

“As an employee of the federal government, Klein violated the trust of the American people when he attacked the very country for which he was paid to work,” prosecutors wrote in court documents.