* SJ-R…

A Springfield man who is alleged to have stormed the floor of the U.S. Senate during the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol that interrupted the Electoral College vote faces federal charges.

Thomas B. Adams Jr., 39, of the 2800 block of Ridge Avenue, was in court at the Paul Findley Federal Building & U.S. Courthouse in Springfield Tuesday, charged with entering a restricted building, violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds and obstructing an official proceeding, according to records filed in federal court.

Adams was released on his own recognizance.

* Sun-Times…

He is at least the sixth person from Illinois to face federal charges in connection with the riot. The charges against him were filed April 2 in federal court in Washington, D.C., records show.

An FBI special agent explained in a court affidavit that authorities first noticed Adams because of an interview he gave to the publication Insider following the riot. The article said Adams trampled over police barricades, made his way into the Capitol, and eventually reached the Senate chamber after lawmakers had been evacuated, according to the affidavit.

The article also quoted Adams as saying, “It was a really fun time,” and it said he described the scene as “hilarious.”

But only one day after the riot — on Jan. 7 — the FBI was already driving by Adams’ home in Springfield as part of its investigation, records show. An agent then interviewed Adams on Feb. 4, according to the affidavit.

* WICS…

Adams told authorities that, once inside the building, he thought to himself, “What are they going to do if a half a million people are here and standing inside of a building and want to be heard?”

He noted seeing people running into the building and grabbing things to take.

The suspect also recorded videos of himself and his friend inside the Capitol. […]

The Statement of Facts says that Adams confirmed that he was the person seen in this photo holding a Trump flag on the U.S. Senate floor.

The full criminal complaint is here.