US Capitol

Man Arrested Outside Capitol With High-Capacity Magazines, Fake Badge: Police

U.S. Capitol Police say Jerome Felipe, of Michigan, parked at the Capitol before dawn on Friday with a BB gun, body armor and high-capacity magazines

items outside us capitol june 3 2022
U.S. Capitol Police

A man faces charges after police say he parked outside the U.S. Capitol with “a fake badge, a BB gun, body armor, high capacity magazines and other ammunition.”

Jerome Felipe, 53, of Flint, Michigan, was arrested early Friday and charged with unlawful possession of high-capacity magazines and unregistered ammunition, U.S. Capitol Police said. It wasn’t immediately clear if he had an attorney.

A Capitol Police officer began talking before 5 a.m. Friday with a man who parked his 2017 Dodge Charger near Peace Circle, on the west side of the Capitol, police said. 

Felipe, a retired police officer “out of New York,” gave officers a fake badge printed with "Department of the INTERPOL” and said he was a criminal investigator with the agency, police said. 

Felipe gave officers permission to search his vehicle, and they discovered “a BB gun, two ballistic vests, several high-capacity magazines and other ammunition,” police said. 

No weapons except the BB gun were found.

It wasn’t immediately clear why Felipe parked near the Capitol, police said. 

Security on Capitol Hill is high and was reinforced after the Jan. 6 attack.

Stay with NBC Washington for more details on this developing story. 

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