New York City sanitation worker Dominick Madden was arrested by the F.B.I. in January after he was identified as one of the rioters in D.C. during the Capitol insurrection. In a declassified report from the Justice Department, a name-redacted F.B.I. investigator details the several steps Madden took to be at the insurrection and his conduct during the riots.
Madden’s picture was first shown in a New York Post article calling him a “NYC sanitation worker,” as he had not yet been identified. F.B.I. investigators reviewing footage saw Madden in multiple surveillance cameras and public videos of the riots. He was wearing a blue sweatshirt with an American flag and the letter ‘Q’ pasted in front of it, showing support for the Q-Anon conspiracy theory that the government is run by a cabal of Democratic child molesters and that former President Donald Trump is fighting a conveniently covert war against them.
Investigators eventually found Madden’s licence plate information and tracked his trek from New York to D.C. “The FBI obtained records from New Jersey license plate readers regarding the license plate associated with Madden in New York DMV records. License plate readers captured Madden’s vehicle traveling on I-295 southbound at the Delaware Memorial Bridge on January 5, 2021. Additionally, on January 7, 2021, a partial plate reading for the vehicle was captured returning northbound on I-295 at the Delaware Memorial Bridge. Maryland license plate readers similarly capture Madden’s vehicle traveling southbound on I-95 and I-895 on January 5, 2021, through the Baltimore region, consistent with a person traveling towards Washington, D.C.”
The F.B.I. recommended several federal charges for Madden, and he was subsequently arrested. He also stepped down from his job at the sanitation department. After his initial court appearance, the former sanitation worker is now out on bail after paying $250,000. A spokesperson for New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio made clear that even if Madden had not quit willingly, he would have been fired.
“Mayor de Blasio has been very clear that if we have proof that a city employee was involved in this attack, they will not be working for New York City any longer. DSNY will assist our partners at NYPD and federal law enforcement in any way we can,” said the spokesperson.
