2 Charleston-area men who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6 charged, bring SC’s total to 16

Two Charleston-area men were arrested Friday and arraigned in federal court on charges connected to the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

David “Dave” Charles Johnston and Chadwick “Chad” Gordon Clifton were to be arraigned in federal court by Magistrate Judge Molly Cherry, according to federal court records.

Their arrests Friday bring to 16 the number of South Carolinians charged so far in the storming of the Capitol, an event that forced Congress and Vice President Mike Pence to flee and injured more than 100 police officers.

They are charged with entering and remaining in a restricted building, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds, and parading, demonstrating or picketing in any of the Capitol Buildings

Tipsters who heard Clifton bragging about being in the Capitol riot alerted the FBI, according to a federal complaint.

That tipster told the FBI that Clifton told them and other co-workers at Maintain, Inc., a Mount Pleasant company where Clifton used to work, “that he went inside the U.S. Capitol building, and sent a photograph showing himself inside the U.S. Capitol building on January 6, 2021. “

The tipster said that Clifton “brags about what they did and has shown all of his coworkers videos and pics. He sent me a pic when he was there.”

Clifton also posted photos of his experiences in the Capitol on Facebook and TikTok, a video app, saying on Facebook three days after the riot, “We are in a war and 95% of the people don’t even know it When I went to DC that was an experience of a lifetime.”

Clifton was a supporter of former President Donald Trump. Inside the Capitol, he wore a cap that said, “Trump 2020 - Keep America Great.”

Johnston, identified in the complaint as a neighbor of Clifton’s, also wore Trump regalia — a blue winter cap with white and red trim embroidered with a circular circular “45” logo and the word “TRUMP.”

Earlier this week, the FBI arrested four members of a South Carolina family on similar charges. A fifth member of the family, a minor teen boy, was not charged because of his age.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated.