WILMINGTON, N.C. (WGHP) — Two men on opposite ends of the state have been identified and charged for their alleged involvement in the Jan. 6 insurrection at the United States Capitol in 2021.
The Department of Justice announced charges with Curtis Logan Tate, who was taken into custody in Wilmington on Aug. 24, and Anthony Mastanduno, who was arrested on Aug. 23 in Asheville.
These two men are among several who were arrested and charged in North Carolina in the wake of the riot, including a “high-ranking” Proud Boy and at least one member of the Oath Keepers, who is still awaiting sentencing.
Anthony Mastanduno
Warrants were issued for Mastanduno on Aug. 18, and he was taken into custody on Aug. 23 on the following charges:
- Forcibly assault, resist, oppose, impede, intimidate, or interfere with certain designated individuals, and to use a deadly or dangerous weapon or inflict bodily injury during the commission of such acts
- Knowingly Entering or Remaining in any Restricted Building or Grounds Without Lawful Authority
- Knowingly, and with intent to impede or disrupt the orderly conduct of Government business or official functions, engage in disorderly or disruptive conduct in, or within such proximity to, any restricted building or grounds when, or so that, such conduct, in fact, impedes or disrupts the orderly conduct of Government business or official functions; or attempts or conspires to do so
- Knowingly engage in any act of physical violence against any person or property in any restricted building or grounds
- To utter loud, threatening, or abusive language, or engage in disorderly or disruptive conduct, at any place in the Grounds or in any of the Capitol Buildings with the intent to impede, disrupt, or disturb the orderly conduct of a session of Congress or either House of Congress, or the orderly conduct in that building of a bearing before, or any deliberations of, a committee of Congress or either House of Congress
- To engage in any act of physical violence in the Grounds or any of the Capitol Buildings
- To parade, demonstrate, or picket in a Capitol Building
- Commit any act to obstruct, impede, or interfere with any fireman or law enforcement officer lawfully engaged in the lawful performance of his official duties incident to and during the commission of a civil disorder which in any way or degree obstructs, delays, or adversely affects commerce or the movement of any article or commodity in commerce or the conduct or performance of any federally protected function, operation, or action carried out
Documents state that after a suspect’s phone was seized, a picture of a man in his late 60s was found with metadata attaching it to the time of the riots. The man in this picture was later identified as Mastanduno.
The FBI reports that “third-party entities” started calling the then-unidentified Mastanduno “#ShieldGrampy” after he was apparently photographed wielding a police riot shield, assaulting officers at the entrance of the tunnel with it, according to the documents.
According to the documents, pictures publicly available on Mastanduno’s wife’s Facebook page visually matched Mastanduno to #ShieldGrampy. Additionally, his employer confirmed to the FBI that he was not at work in the days following the riot, and a rental car registered to his name was allegedly seen in the area of Washington D.C.
Curtis Logan Tate
Warrants were issued for Tate’s arrest on Aug. 23 for the following counts:
- Assaulting, Resisting, or Impeding Certain Officers Using a Deadly or Dangerous Weapon
- Civil Disorder
- Entering and Remaining in a Restricted Building or Grounds
- Disorderly and Disruptive Conduct in a Restricted Building or Grounds
- Engaging in Physical Violence in a Restricted Building or Grounds
- Destruction of Government Property
- Disorderly Conduct in the Capitol Grounds or Buildings
- Engage in an Act of Physical Violence in the Grounds or any of the Capitol Buildings
According to the criminal complaint, FBI interviewed Tate at his Indiana home in the week following Jan. 6 after receiving tips and video from social media that appeared to show Tate.
“Tate admitted that he had been at the Capitol in Washington, D.C. on January 6,” the FBI reports. “Tate confirmed that he posted videos to his personal Instagram account and deleted some. Tate was not shown the information provided by the tipster; however, Tate did admit to wearing clothing described to him by the interviewing agents, including a tactical style vest, and to carrying a metal baton.”
The allegations claim Tate was primarily seen in the tunnel area of the capitol, which documents describe as being one of the most “violent” areas of the riot.
Documents describe Tate as assaulting a capitol police officer with the metal baton he was carrying before being pepper-sprayed, with the sergeant describing him as “aggressive.” Photos allegedly show a man identified as Tate assaulting at least one officer and being hit with pepper spray, which can be seen on his face and head in later photographs.
Additional video allegedly shows Tate throwing a “black speaker box” and hitting a capitol officer with it. He later used a floor lamp, which had been taken from the building and passed through a broken window, to assault officers during the riot.
The documents further allege that Tate was interviewed in March 2021 by USA Today. He reportedly told USA Today that he was at the capitol on Jan. 6 but added, “I would never hurt an officer. I come from a military background. I’m very respectful of our military and police. … I know I didn’t hurt anybody. … I’m not speaking here bold as brass, because you never know what can happen … but I’ve never, ever once hurt, or put my hands on an officer. … I never did it. So, I’m not going to live the rest of my life in fear.”
Capitol Riot
Over 1,000 individuals have been arrested across the country for their involvement in the riot. Hundreds have pleaded guilty, and been sentenced. Among those from North Carolina who have been charged or convicted, six are residents of the Piedmont Triad. That includes Oath Keeper Laura Steele, who is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 15, and Proud Boy Charles Donohoe, whose sentencing will take place in December, according to the most recent court filing.
