Wells man becomes 7th Mainer charged in connection with Capitol riot

The FBI says David Ball of Wells was seen outside the U.S. Capitol building on Jan. 6, 2021. Courtesy FBI

A Wells man has been arrested for his alleged involvement in the riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, as federal prosecutors continue to investigate thousands of individuals who tried to prevent Congress from certifying the results of the 2020 presidential election.

David Ball, the owner of Broken Glass Co. in Wells, appeared in federal court in Portland on Thursday afternoon after being charged with four misdemeanors, including disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building, according to court records.

David Ball Courtesy FBI

He is the seventh person with Maine ties to be charged in connection with the Jan. 6 riot.

After learning about the pending case about a month ago, Ball voluntarily surrendered to police in Portland at about 1 p.m. Thursday, his attorney Luke Rioux said in a statement.

“The government alleges that he entered some time after others had removed barricades and opened the doors,” Rioux told the Press Herald. “There is no allegation that he engaged in any violence, destruction of property, or that he possessed or used any weapon.”

FBI officials began investigating Ball in February 2021 after receiving an anonymous tip that he had been in the Capitol on Jan. 6, according to an affidavit. In the following months, a second tipster and a confidential informant provided photos of a man wearing a black “Broken Glass Company” sweatshirt both inside and outside the Capitol Building.

Photos and surveillance video show the man walking through the crypt area of the Capitol for less than 20 minutes, according to court records. At one point, the man appears to pump his fist in sync with a chanting protesters as Capitol Police officers attempted to hold back a crowd inside the building.

When questioned by the FBI, two individuals who worked with Ball professionally identified him in the surveillance footage, according to court records. Cell phone data links him to the area where the Capitol is located.

The FBI says David Ball of Wells was seen inside the crypt area of the U.S. Capitol building on Jan. 6, 2021. Courtesy FBI

Ball was released after his appearance in U.S. District Court in Portland on Thursday, Rioux said. He will appear for his arraignment in Washington, D.C., via Zoom on April 4.

Ball could face up to three years in prison. The most severe charges against him each carry a penalty of up to a year in prison and a maximum $100,000 fine.

Nearly a thousand individuals have been arrested and charged with breaching the U.S. Capitol, and a little more than 300 have been accused or convicted of assaulting or impeding law enforcement.

Of the seven people arrested with ties to Maine, two have been convicted of serious offenses.

Kyle Fitzsimons, 37 of Lebanon, was found guilty of 11 charges and is scheduled to be sentenced in April. He was originally scheduled for sentencing this month but had to request a new court date after his publicly appointed defense attorney resigned following his conviction. Glen Mitchell Simon, 30, a former Minot resident who moved to Georgia, was sentenced to eight months in prison after pleading guilty to his role in the riot.

Nicholas Hendrix, 35, of Gorham, pleaded guilty last year to participating in the attack and was sentenced to 30 days in prison. Todd Tilley, 61, of South Paris, pleaded guilty this month to a misdemeanor charge of parading, demonstrating or picketing and was sentenced to a week behind bars, then four years of probation. Joshua Colgan, 35, of Jefferson pleaded guilty in January under a deal with prosecutors to parading, demonstrating or picketing a Capitol building and now faces up to six months in prison.

Christopher Maurer, 45, of Biddeford was charged in February with seven counts related to civil disorder, assaulting officers with a deadly weapon and illegally entering and committing violent acts on restricted grounds. Prosecutors allege he swung a large pole at officers and interfered with them as they tried to help another individual experiencing a medical emergency.