Law enforcement was able to find social media images of someone they said appeared to be Beeks and was wearing the same jacket as a man who participated in the January 6 riots. .
United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia
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United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia
Law enforcement was able to find social media images of someone they said appeared to be Beeks and was wearing the same jacket as a man who participated in the January 6 riots. .
United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia
A Michael Jackson travel jacket has proven to be a thriller for federal agents working to identify a suspected rioter at the US Capitol.
Prosecutors said James Beeks, who played Judas in a Jesus Christ Superstar produced and also works as a Michael Jackson impersonator, which can be seen in photos and videos from January 6 wearing the jacket, when thousands of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol.
They say he is affiliated with The Oath Keepers, a far-right extremist group involved in the attack. Oath-keepers mostly wear camouflage, but in images from that day shown in court documents, a man can be seen with them wearing a black jacket with the word “BAD” in bright red letters.
That was the name of Michael Jackson’s world tour, which began in 1987.
Law enforcement was looking into Beeks, a 49-year-old from Orlando, Fla., after a rioter pleaded guilty to telling agents that Beeks had contact with the Oath Keepers when they traveled to Capitol Palace.
Investigators were able to find social media photos of Beeks wearing what appeared to be a jacket, smiling and posing in front of a promotional poster for a product of the Beeks. Jesus Christ Superstar.
Prosecutors said Beeks played Judas in that production under the stage name James T. Justis. Looks like he’s been replaced in that role, according to the current cast list on production site, deleted his page.
There are other signs of Beeks’ enthusiasm for the pop icon – on YouTube, he describes himself as “one of the top Michael Jackson Tribute artists” and his “jdmoonwalker” handle seems to allude to Jackson’s famous dance moves.
It was not immediately clear if Beeks would hire an attorney who could comment on his behalf. He was arrested on Tuesday and charged with obstructing Congress and illegally entering a restricted building or property. After making his first appearance, he was released.
Prosecutors said Beeks was part of a crowd that formed a formation to enter the Capitol. After entering the building, they said the Beeks joined a group that tried to make their way through the ranks of law enforcement officers guarding a road to the Senate, but they couldn’t get past the officers.
Beeks is one of the more than 675 people who have been arrested so far after the storm in the Capitol.
