# Florida Man charged with stealing Speaker's podium **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [January 10, 2021, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/florida-man-charged-with-stealing-speakers-podium/930157 "2021-01-10T02:28:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2021, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/florida-man-charged-with-stealing-speakers-podium/930157/121 "2021-01-15T18:23:53Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > Is he really, authentically this stupid? Yeah - how can you tell, whether someone like this is that stupid, as opposed to putting on an act? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2021, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/florida-man-charged-with-stealing-speakers-podium/930157/122 "2021-01-15T18:25:18Z")
Never mind. Cheap shot. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2021, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/florida-man-charged-with-stealing-speakers-podium/930157/123 "2021-01-15T19:04:00Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > > [@](#): > > > > "We’re eight weeks from the election, and **we still don’t have verifiable, tangible support for the crimes that everyone knows were committed** — that is, defrauding other citizens who voted with fraudulent votes,” Dobbs said. > > > > > “We know that’s the case in Nevada, we know it’s the case in Pennsylvania and a number of other states, but **we have had a devil of a time finding actual proof. Why?** > > Well Lou…you might not like the answer. Ah yes… the argument from What We Just Know Must Be True. Sure Lou, and we know it had to be True that Jesus would return in 1844… no wait, 1874… or was it 1914… or 2011… come on it cannot have been a _lie!_ ---
**Author:** ![Crane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crane/32/3495_2.png) [@Crane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crane)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2021, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/florida-man-charged-with-stealing-speakers-podium/930157/124 "2021-01-15T19:34:30Z")
The dull witted tell me “the fact they haven’t found any evidence proves the election was a fraud” - Huh? ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2021, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/florida-man-charged-with-stealing-speakers-podium/930157/125 "2021-01-15T20:16:10Z")
> [@Ann\_Hedonia](#): > > I’m not a music geek and I’d soon be out of my depth if I tried to defend that statement. Which is why I don’t frequent Cafe Society. We do [preserve](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coelacanth-jam-a-thread-to-update-the-medlar-chronicles/924830) and [pastry](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-new-pandemic-skills-pastry/930202) making as well. Come on over once in a while. j ---
**Author:** ![OttoDaFe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ottodafe/32/356_2.png) [@OttoDaFe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OttoDaFe)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2021, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/florida-man-charged-with-stealing-speakers-podium/930157/126 "2021-01-16T01:16:09Z")
Remember “Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence” (Donald Rumsfeld on Iraq, though he didn’t invent the idea)? In this case, the MAGAsses seem to believe that the absence of evidence is indicative of a conspiracy so cunning and so fiendish that it managed to make it look like it didn’t exist. Which simply proves that it did. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2021, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/florida-man-charged-with-stealing-speakers-podium/930157/127 "2021-01-16T02:52:43Z")
A witch would deny being a witch thus your denial is exactly the evidence we need. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2021, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/florida-man-charged-with-stealing-speakers-podium/930157/128 "2021-01-17T02:18:34Z")
Two different arrests in Kentucky, one yesterday > **['It's your house now:' Kentucky man and cousin face federal charges in US...](https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/crime/2021/01/15/washington-post-kentucky-man-charged-trespassing-capitol-riot/4174411001/)** > > Charges are being filed against hundreds of protesters in the wake of the Jan. 6 riots spurred on by President Trump, who has been impeached. and one a few minutes ago. > **[FBI arrests Louisville man who was at the US Capitol riot](https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/crime/2021/01/16/us-capitol-riot-fbi-arrests-louisville-man-participatoin/4194472001/)** > > FBI Louisville arrested Damon Michael Beckley in Cub Run on Saturday. He's charged with disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2021, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/florida-man-charged-with-stealing-speakers-podium/930157/129 "2021-01-19T02:27:28Z")
This rocket surgeon was wearing an ankle monitor as a condition of his probation from a fourth degree burglary conviction. > **[White Supremacist Arrested after Ankle Monitor Places Him at Capitol Riots](https://www.newsweek.com/white-supremacist-bryan-betancur-gps-proud-boys-1562364)** > > Bryan Betancur was allowed to travel to the capital on probation while wearing GPS after getting permission to "distribute bibles." ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2021, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/florida-man-charged-with-stealing-speakers-podium/930157/130 "2021-01-19T03:38:49Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > This rocket surgeon was wearing an ankle monitor as a condition of his probation from a fourth degree burglary conviction. Loud Bois shirt, OK/WP handsign, bullshit excuse about distributing bibles, on monitored probation… He’s going for a seditplorable whatever-fecta there. Y’know, in “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” Scott-Heron did not need to add a warning _“and if it were, mugging for the camera will just help the Man round us up, fool”_. Seems the world **is** getting dumber. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2021, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/florida-man-charged-with-stealing-speakers-podium/930157/131 "2021-01-19T03:51:02Z")
Like I posted in another thread: To paraphrase Donald Trump "They’re not sending their best. They’re sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems to us. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.” ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2021, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/florida-man-charged-with-stealing-speakers-podium/930157/132 "2021-02-10T14:31:13Z")
Interesting article in Washington Post: > **[A majority of the people arrested for Capitol riot had a history of financial...](https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2021/02/10/capitol-insurrectionists-jenna-ryan-financial-problems/)** > > A trail of bankruptcies, tax problems and bad debts raises questions for researchers trying to understand the motivations for the attack. As the headline suggests, their research indicates that a lot of those charged had or were facing financial troubles. More long term, they cite research that indicates that financial troubles of a family as a person grows up makes that person more likely to be attracted to extremism. There is the element of feeling that society is changing and they’re losing out, but it seems to have a more personal financial link. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2021, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/florida-man-charged-with-stealing-speakers-podium/930157/133 "2021-02-10T14:52:05Z")
So many issues from that. Clearly something is wrong if, while paying off a large tax lien, you think chartering a private airplane is the best use of your resources. There is a scary mix of a lack of personal fiscal responsibility, social media and outright bullshit passed off as truth that led people to think that storming the castle was good, patriotic thing to do. The system that screws them over has them convinced ‘others’ are to blame. ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2021, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/florida-man-charged-with-stealing-speakers-podium/930157/134 "2021-02-10T15:08:42Z")
Thank you for raising this, it deserves support and taking to a higher level. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2021, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/florida-man-charged-with-stealing-speakers-podium/930157/135 "2021-02-10T16:47:06Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > As the headline suggests, their research indicates that a lot of those charged had or were facing financial troubles. > > More long term, they cite research that indicates that financial troubles of a family as a person grows up makes that person more likely to be attracted to extremism. > > There is the element of feeling that society is changing and they’re losing out, but it seems to have a more personal financial link. The overlap between these ideas and Sovereign Citizen-thinking is huge. And sobering for us to consider. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2021, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/florida-man-charged-with-stealing-speakers-podium/930157/136 "2021-02-10T16:50:36Z")
This might have been mentioned upthread, but another analysis showed that some percentage of those in the Capitol insurrection hadn’t even voted in the election. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2021, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/florida-man-charged-with-stealing-speakers-podium/930157/137 "2021-02-10T17:01:14Z")
I don’t find it too surprising that people who were full of the RW propaganda _before_ Nov 3 believed that the election would be stolen and therefor boycotted the sham balloting as they saw it. Not huge numbers, but enough to get a few percent of hard core nutbags to buy that garbage. And to also show up on Jan 6 to “stop the steal”. Hell, 33% of all Americans who were eligible to vote in the election did not. Note that “eligible” in this case is “eligible to register”. It is surprisingly hard to locate stats on what percentage of registered voters actually did so. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2021, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/florida-man-charged-with-stealing-speakers-podium/930157/138 "2021-02-14T18:06:55Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Holding charges. These are easily provable and get the assholes into custody. Once there they can be charged with the works. But _after_ Jan. 20. And a month on, and the more serious charges are starting to come out: > **[Seditionaries: FBI net closes on Maga mob that stormed the Capitol](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/feb/06/us-capitol-insurrection-fbi-investigation)** > > A huge investigation has so far arrested 235 people, including far-right militants, members of the military – and otherwise unremarkable Trump fans > [@](#): > > Already the number of people who have been arrested, either by the FBI, Capitol police or local Washington DC officers has reached 235, spanning more than [40 states](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/capitol-riot-arrests-2021-02-04/). As the investigation widens and deepens, **the focus is tightening on anyone considered to have acted as a coordinator of the action in an attempt to take out the ringleaders.** > … > As more has become known about those arrested, the strategy being pursued by the FBI has also revealed itself. In several cases, **people who participated in the storming of the Capitol were picked up and charged with relatively minor offenses such as trespassing or theft of mail simply as a means to get them into prosecutorial clutches.** > > **Once in the system, more serious charges could then be added as intelligence came in.** That pattern of escalating charges can be seen in the cases of Nicholas DeCarlo from Texas and Nicholas Ochs from Hawaii. > > **Initially, the pair were accused of unlawful entry into federal property. But new conspiracy charges were added this week** in which they are alleged to have planned out their travel across state lines, raised money to pay for it, and then made the trip to Washington DC in a premeditated attempt to obstruct the certification of Joe Biden as winner of the US presidential election. > > **If convicted, DeCarlo and Ochs each face [maximum sentences](https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/pr/texas-man-self-proclaimed-leader-honolulu-proud-boys-now-indicted-federal-grand-jury) of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.** The Director of the FBI made a statement a while ago to the effect: “Even if you made it home, know that we’re looking for you. There will be a knock on your door.” ---
**Author:** ![medstar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f07891/32.png) [@medstar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/medstar)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2021, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/florida-man-charged-with-stealing-speakers-podium/930157/139 "2021-02-16T00:43:38Z")
Would it be too shallow of me to point out that he’s really good-looking in the photo on the right? d&r ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2021, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/florida-man-charged-with-stealing-speakers-podium/930157/140 "2021-02-20T00:12:44Z")
And more charges laid alleging planning and organisation, this time members of the Oath Keepers: > [@](#): > > Six more people allegedly affiliated with the right-wing militia Oath Keepers were indicted on charges of planning [the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol](https://www.wsj.com/articles/at-the-u-s-capitol-a-milling-crowd-sparked-a-riot-in-a-few-crucial-minutes-11610067766?mod=article_inline), as prosecutors sketch out a portrait of a group preparing to disrupt the certification of President Biden’s election and developing a military-style plan to do so. > > An indictment returned Friday afternoon charged a retired husband and wife from Warren County, Ohio, outside of Cincinnati, a couple from Florida, and siblings from Florida and North Carolina with conspiracy and other counts. Prosecutors said they worked with three others who were among the first to be [accused of conspiring to engage in the attack](https://www.wsj.com/articles/first-conspiracy-charges-filed-over-capitol-riot-11611080191?mod=article_inline). > > The nine people were accused of attending or scheduling paramilitary trainings in advance of Jan. 6, coordinating their travel to Washington, preparing for the operation with military gear and moving through the Capitol in military formation. > > Federal investigators have described the Oath Keepers as “a large but loosely organized collection of militia who believe that the federal government has been co-opted by a shadowy conspiracy that is trying to strip American citizens of their rights” and that focuses on recruiting current and former military personnel, law-enforcement officers and first responders. [https://www.wsj.com/articles/six-more-alleged-members-of-oath-keepers-militia-indicted-11613766782?mod=djemalertNEWS](https://www.wsj.com/articles/six-more-alleged-members-of-oath-keepers-militia-indicted-11613766782?mod=djemalertNEWS) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/florida-man-charged-with-stealing-speakers-podium/930157.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/florida-man-charged-with-stealing-speakers-podium/930157.md?page=8)