Michael Riley, U.S. Capitol Police officer, has resigned several weeks following. his arrest for allegedly covering up communications with a man criminally charged with participating in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot by Trump supporters.

Riley, 26-year-old Capitol Police veteran, was charged with deleting messages from Facebook between Riley and the other person following the man’s Jan. 19 arrest.

U.S. District Court Washington also accuses him of asking the other man delete information from that man’s facebook page, which shows him inside Capitol during the Riot.

According to NBC News’s law enforcement officers, Jacob Hiles (a Virginia fishing charter boat operator) was the man who pleaded guilty in December to illegally parading inside the Capitol.

Riley was a K-9 technician and had been placed on administrative leave following his October 15th arrest for federal obstruction of justice.

The charges carry a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment if convicted. He can be released on bail without any cash.

He resigned. which was first reported by PoliticoSilverman, Thompson, Slutkin and White, his attorneys, confirmed that Riley was indeed a hero and not a criminal.

In a statement, the attorneys said that Riley had engaged in acts heroically on January 6th 2021 in response to an attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Riley wasn’t on duty at the Capitol Building that day. However, he did respond to calls about an explosive device near the building that day according to his indictment.

Riley’s attorneys stated that Riley was not guilty of the accusations against him. They said that the evidence would show that one person isn’t committing a crime by suggesting to the other that they remove ill-conceived posts from Facebook.

The attorneys also noted that Riley had previously been named nationwide “Officer of the Month” by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial  Fund and “Officer of the Year” by the Capitol Hill Executive Service Club & National Exchange Club.

The Capitol Police spokesperson declined comment. He stated that “As with many Departments, it is not possible for the USCP to discuss personnel issues.”

Five people died in connection with the riotBrian Sicknick (Capitol Police Officer), who was killed on January 7.

Four other officers from Washington, D.C. were among those who died in suicide while responding to the Capitol’s invasion. One was from Capitol police, and the three others from Washington, D.C., police.n the months since the riot.There is more than 140 cops were injured during the invasion.

As the then-President began to riot at the Capitol, Donald TrumpThe Republican hosted an event at Ellipse, outside the White House. He urged supporters to march to Congress to oppose the current confirmation. Joe BidenPresident’s election.

Soon after, rioters broke into the Capitol building’s doors and windows, invading both the Senate chamber and the Rotunda. They also invaded Nancy Pelosi (D-California), office as House Speaker and several other areas.

Learn More than 500 people have been criminally charged in connection with the riot.

Trump was impeached after he incited the riot. A Senate trial held shortly after Trump’s departure from office resulted in his acquittal.

Trump last month issued a statement condemning the prosecution of rioters.

Trump declared, “Our hearts & minds are with people being persecuted in unfair ways relating to January 6th protest over the Rigged presidential election.”

Trump and his allies have falsely claimed since last November tHe was actually victorious over Biden in popular elections, and that the Democrat’s victory was only due to massive ballot fraud.

None of these fictional claims have been approved by a court. They were also rejected by Trump’s own attorney general William Barr.