American actor James D. Beeks was arrested on Tuesday in suspicion for his role in the Capitol Hill riots on January 6 in Washington, D.C., which saw several supporters of former President Donald Trump charge the building. The 49-year-old, known for playing Judas in the Broadway musical Jesus Christ Superstar, has been charged by the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia with obstruction of Congress, a felony as per the constitution and misdemeanor for entry into a restricted property, the Department of Justice (DoJ) issued a statement on Tuesday. 

According to reports, investigators "observed" Beeks perform in early November in Los Angeles and San Francisco in Jesus Christ Superstar, which is on tour right now, with the show held in Wisconsin, on Tuesday and is headed for Toronto in Canada next. He has been suspended from the musical "pending the outcome of the hearing", the producers announced, while adding that the "production is giving its full cooperation to the authorities while the investigation is ongoing." Beeks, who is also known as a Michael Jackson impersonator, was arrested in Milwaukee on Tuesday afternoon after he was identified by authorities by the jacket he was wearing. He had been wearing Jackson's 1980s Bad era merchandise, with officials recognizing him by the jacket on social media, which he had worn at the Capitol riots earlier this year. 

Additional evidence like debit card purchases made by Beeks in the D.C. area, including phone records, car rentals and more were used by law enforcement officials to link him to the scene. Authorities also combined his ear to images from the incident considering they were "not able to locate a photograph or video of Beeks at the Capitol with his full face visible." Allegations made by authorities claimed that Beeks had paid dues to the Oath Keepers, which is an extremist group that also took part in the Capitol riot on December 21, 2020, two weeks before the Jan. 6 events in the nation's capital. The DOJ has said that Beeks appeared at the court in the Eastern District of Wisconsin and was released pending further court proceedings.