SAN ANTONIO – After being arrested in San Antonio Sunday for his alleged role in the deadly pro-Trump Capitol riot on Jan. 6, Matthew Carl Mazzocco made his first federal court appearance on Tuesday.
The hearing was held virtually and United States Magistrate Judge Henry Bemporad presided.
During the hearing, Mazzocco, 37, who was represented by attorney Robbie Ward, was read his charges.
He’s charged with knowingly entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds without lawful authority or violent entry, which is a Class A misdemeanor. If convicted, he faces a maximum of 1 year in jail.
His second charge is disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds, which is a Class B misdemeanor and carries a maximum penalty of 6 months in jail.
He was identified on social media after videos surfaced that appear to show him walking around inside the Capitol, prosecutors allege in court records. Mazzocco was arrested on Jan. 17 at his Stone Oak home without incident, according to the FBI.
In the videos, Mazzocco could be heard telling other people who stormed the Capitol not to take or destroy anything. In that video, Mazzocco also admit he knew they were probably going to get in trouble for the breach.
Prosecutors also found flight information that showed Mazzocco flew to Washington D.C. and a selfie he posted on his Facebook profile with the caption, “The capital (sic) is ours!”
During the hearing, Mazzocco answered the judge’s direct yes or no questions but otherwise remained silent.
The judge agreed to release Mazzocco from jail until his trial on certain conditions, including that restricting travel outside of the contiguous United States and Washington D.C. The judge issued what’s known as an appearance bond, meaning Mazzocco faces fines of up to $25,000 if he doesn’t show up to future court hearings.
The next hearing is scheduled for Jan. 26.
Mazzocco is one of about 10 Texans who have been charged in connection with the siege on the Capitol on Jan. 6, and one of more than a hundred people nationwide.
Mazzocco was employed with Synergy One Lending, Inc., as a loan officer but was recently fired, KSAT confirmed.
CEO of Synergy One Lending, Steve Majerus, issued the following statement on Tuesday:
“For those concerned, we wish to inform you that this individual is no longer employed by our company. Part of our core vision for our company is to build and maintain a pristine reputation. We remain steadfast to that enduring objective.”