MOUNTLAKE TERRACE, Wash. — A Mountlake Terrace man was arrested last week for his suspected involvement in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
Matthew Lawrence Stickney was arrested on Dec. 20, becoming the 18th person from Washington state implicated for their participation in the riot.
He was arrested on four charges, including entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, 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.
According to a criminal complaint, several surveillance photos captured Stickney inside the Capitol wearing a black jacket with a gray hoodie underneath, a black backpack and dark pants. He had entered the building at about 2:45 p.m., according to the photos. A witness told authorities the man in the surveillance photo looked like Stickney but did not know for sure.
Authorities said GPS and location data from a cellphone placed Stickney in the radius of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. The criminal complaint mentioned several Google searches believed to be made on his phone, including "how do i take my gun with me on a flight," "boy that escalated quickly," and "can i bring a gas mask on a plane."
Investigators found flights that Stickney purchased that could have placed him in Washington D.C. on Jan. 6. He left Seattle on Jan. 4 and returned on Jan. 7, 2021, according to the criminal complaint.
Officials said they had enough probable cause to arrest Stickney in the criminal complaint filed on Dec. 15.
Three months ago, an Auburn man was sentenced to 18 years in prison for his role in the riot. Ethan Nordean, one of the members of the "Proud Boys" convicted of seditious conspiracy for his actions on Jan. 6, was sentenced on Sept. 1.
Nordean, who hails from Auburn, also has 36 months of supervised release in addition to his prison sentence. Prosecutors recommended Nordean get 27 years in prison for his crimes.
Nordean was one of three leaders of the far-right extremist group to be sentenced in a week after organizer Joseph Biggs received a 17-year sentence and Zachary Rehl 15 years.
An indictment showed social media posts of Nordean’s following the November 2020 election which said: “We tried playing nice and by the rules, now you will deal with the monster you created. The spirit of 1776 has resurfaced and has created groups likhime the Proud Boys and we will not be extinguished.”
The indictment stated Nordean created a crowdfunding campaign to buy protective gear and radios used on Jan. 6 and detailed events that allege he led Proud Boys members from the Washington Monument to storm the Capitol.
More than 1,200 people have been arrested in connection to Jan. 6, according to the Associated Press.