Kingston man charged in riot at U.S. Capitol

A Kingston man is the fourth Washington state resident to be charged in connection with the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

Taylor James Johnatakis, 38, of Kingston turned himself in to the FBI last Thursday after a grand jury in Washington, D.C., returned an eight-count indictment against him.

He is accused of obstructing an official proceeding, assaulting or impeding federal officers, remaining in a restricted building and engaging in violent acts in the Capitol or on its grounds. He faces up to 30 years in prison if convicted on all counts. The most serious charge, obstructing an official proceeding, carries a maximum sentence of 20 years.

Johnatakis made an initial appearance Thursday in U.S. District Court in Tacoma. Assistant U.S. Attorney William Dreher did not request he be detained, and U.S. Magistrate Judge David W. Christel ordered him to be released pending further hearings. He was ordered to surrender his passport, given travel restrictions and barred from communicating with any co-defendants.

Johnatakis declined an invitation to address the court, and he has not entered pleas. His attorney, Christopher Black, described him as a married father of five children who works in construction with his brother-in-law.

Johnatakis has no criminal history, said Black, who declined to discuss the charges but added in an email: “Mr. Johnatakis is not a member or supporter of any white supremacist or hate group and strongly condemns that sort of thinking.”