A 2009 graduate of Fannin County High School was arrested Sunday, January 10, in connection to the invasion of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. that occurred Wednesday, January 6.
Eric Gavelek Munchel, 30, now of Tennessee, is believed to be the “zip tie guy” who was photographed inside the Senate’s Chamber holding zip ties, dressed in paramilitary gear.
He was arrested by the FBI in Nashville, Tennessee, Sunday on federal charges including one count of knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority and one count of violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.
“It is alleged that Munchel was inside of the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021,” the report from the United States Department of Justice said. “Photos depicting his presence show a person who appears to be Munchel carrying plastic restraints, an item in a holster on his right hip, and a cell phone mounted on his chest with the camera facing outward, ostensibly to record events that day.”
Munchel was charged with battery in 2013 in Fulton County, Georgia, but there are no reports regarding whether those charges have been settled.
He was later arrested in 2014, also in Fulton County, and charged with possession of marijuana and speeding. He agreed to a plea deal in that case, published reports said.