Greenfield man charged with Jan. 6 offenses at U.S. Capitol

This video provided by the FBI shows Christopher H. Kenily of Greenfield inside the U.S. Capitol building on Jan. 6, 2021.

This video provided by the FBI shows Christopher H. Kenily of Greenfield inside the U.S. Capitol building on Jan. 6, 2021. COURTESY IMAGE/FBI

By JAMES PENTLAND

Staff Writer

Published: 09-15-2023 5:40 PM

SPRINGFIELD — A Greenfield man was arrested Thursday on four charges related to his alleged participation in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, according to the FBI.

Christopher H. Keniley was taken into custody without incident and had his initial appearance Thursday afternoon in U.S. District Court in Springfield before Magistrate Judge Katherine A. Robertson, the FBI reported.

He is charged with 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, picketing or demonstrating in a Capitol building.

The FBI states it first learned of Keniley’s involvement in the Capitol riot through electronic evidence and later obtained numerous videos depicting him on the Capitol grounds and inside the Capitol on Jan. 6.

One video shows Keniley standing on a retaining wall next to stairs leading to the Capitol, then walking along the edge of the wall, approaching police while holding up a cellphone and an American flag, according to the FBI.

He then stands in front of police, turns and pans his cellphone with the camera on across the crowd. According to the FBI, he is then heard shouting, “Yeah the criminals are inside, go get them. Did anyone ask how Pelosi [could be] a $200 millionaire? She’s f***ing corrupt, wake up! Jesus! What does it take?”

He then steps down from the wall, turns to someone in the crowd and says to them, “We gotta get in there man, they aren’t going to listen to us,” and points to the Capitol building, the FBI states.

Another video shows Keniley entering the Capitol building at 3:09 p.m. with a large group of rioters, holding an American flag in his left hand and holding what appears to be a cellphone as if to record or photograph the scene in the other hand. He left the building about 10 minutes after he entered it, according to FBI evidence.

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A Massachusetts State Police trooper who had stopped Keniley for speeding on Feb. 2 helped FBI agents identify him.

Kenily is the second area resident to be arrested in connection to the Capitol riot. In April, Vincent J. Gillespie, 61, of Athol, was sentenced to 5½ years in federal prison after being found guilty of felony and misdemeanor charges related to his involvement in the breach of the U.S. Capitol.

James Pentland can be reached at jpentland@gazettenet.com.