Who is Gary Edwards? Pennsylvania man, 68, arrested as wife brags about his role in Capitol riots on Facebook
CHURCHVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA: Months after the violent January 6 insurrection at the US Capitol, those involved continue to be rounded up and arrested. The latest to be arrested is Gary Edwards, a 68-year-old from Churchville, Pennsylvania. Unlike other insurrectionists, Edwards' arrest isn't due to his pride, but rather his wife's.
The FBI was led to Edwards after they received a tip including screenshots of Facebook posts made by Edward's wife Lynn Feiler Edwards. The supportive spouse took to social media to promote her husband's activities on January 6 in a series of now-deleted posts. Edwards was arrested on May 4 and released the same day "with standard conditions". Here's everything we know about Edwards, and how his wife led the FBI straight to him.
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Who is Gary Edwards?
Edwards lives with his wife in Churchville, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. He is the fifth rioter from the county to be charged for the insurrection. A Facebook profile we found in his name says he is from Queens, New York. Images from Lynn's Facebook page show that the couple are grandparents, but it is unclear how many children they have. Based on one uploaded image, it looks like they have six grandchildren.
Not much else is known about Edwards. We couldn't find a LinkedIn profile in his name, so it is unclear where he studied or worked. According to The Inquirer, he was a registered Democrat till 2012, but changed his affiliation that year to 'unaffiliated'. Neither he nor Lynn have any political posts on Facebook, so it is unclear how Edwards was inspired to join the insurrection. The only links are the posts Lynn made on January 6, when her husband joined hundreds of others and stormed the Capitol. He has since been charged on multiple counts, which could send him to prison for up to a year if convicted. He will face a trial in a federal court in Washington DC, reportedly later this month.
How was Gary Edwards caught?
According to the Statement of Facts document, Lynn posted, "Okay ladies let me tell you what happened as my husband was there inside the Capitol Rotunda." She added, "Gary walked around the back of the building and climbed the stairs walking right into the rotunda. He stood there and heard and saw teargas blasts. The police were right next to him as Gary poured water on their eyes. He stayed to chat w the police who were calm."
In a second post, Lynn said, "Gary walked around carrying flags of the Us. Gary walked right through the door into the rotunda. Chatting with the police who were very calm... When asked to leave they did.... These were people who watched their rights being taken away, their votes stolen from them, their state officials violating the constitutions of their country, and people who are not being given the opportunity to be able to have evidence shown."
Lynn later deleted those posts, likely around the time the FBI began rounding up suspects using social media. In February 2021, the FBI received a tip with screenshots of the post. They were able to match Edwards by comparing Lynn's Facebook profile to his driver's license. "Additionally, in the course of its investigation, law enforcement obtained photos and videos of an individual who appears to be EDWARDS both inside and outside the Capitol," the document says. They also found him in footage posted by other insurrectionists, leading the FBI to arrest Edwards.