An Army veteran and former Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) official is reportedly facing up to 15 years in prison for taking part in the storming of Capitol Hill on January 6, despite asserting that he never entered the United States Capitol building and was invited to the event by an FBI informant.
Mark Ibrahim appeared in the latest episode of Fox News host Tucker Carlson’s new documentary series released this week entitled “Patriot Purge” about the events at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021. In addition to the major prison sentence the Army vet is facing, Ibrahim also claimed that an FBI informant was the one who invited him to attend the “Stop The Steal” rally featuring then-President Donald Trump.
Ibrahim further claimed that the informant attempted to convince him to join the demonstrators at the Capitol, but he refused.
Carlson said he confirmed Ibrahim’s claims with the alleged informant himself.
In July, Ibrahim was arrested and charged with four crimes related to the events at the Capitol on January 6, including making a false statement to federal agents, entering restricted grounds with a firearm, injuring or climbing on a statue, and carrying a firearm on Capitol grounds.
Photos from January 6 appear to show Ibrahim posing with his DEA badge and a holstered firearm on Capitol grounds, but the he claimed to have told investigators that both his weapon and credentials were “never exposed” during the demonstration “that I know of.”
“They labeled me a domestic terrorist, I just want to see peace and unity,” Ibrahim said in the new documentary series.
“Because I’ve seen it in foreign countries, between Sunni and Shia [Muslims], open violence in the streets. It’s a sad and scary thing,” he said. “I’m afraid that if this division and dehumanizing continues, that’s where America is headed, and I pray that never happens.”
According to CBS News, at one point during the demonstration at the Capitol, Ibrahim climbed on top of the Peace Monument and recorded himself “delivering a monologue,” prosecutors said.
Prosecutors also claim that after Air Force veteran Ashli Babbitt was shot by a U.S. Capitol Police officer, she was transported “within steps” of Ibrahim. Court documents allege that Ibrahim’s friend posted video of her as she was taken to an ambulance and Ibrahim later posted that video to his WhatsApp group chat.
Ibrahim also allegedly appeared in photos from January 6 at the Capitol where he was seen carrying two flags: a “Troutman Flag” emblazoned with the words “Liberty or Death” and a “Betsy Ross” flag.
