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Brooklyn Judge's Fur-Loving Son Arrested For Joining Capitol Insurrection
By
Jake Offenhartz
Published Jan 12, 2021
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Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP/Shutterstock
By
Jake Offenhartz
Published Jan 12, 2021
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The son of a Brooklyn Supreme Court Judge who participated in last week's deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol building has been arrested, according to a source familiar with the investigation.
Aaron Mostofsky, 34, was taken into custody by the FBI in Midwood on Tuesday. In one video shared with Gothamist, federal agents can be seen leaving the basement apartment holding a walking stick and animal skins, which Mostofsky infamously donned while joining a wave of pro-Trump rioters who swarmed the halls of Congress on Wednesday.
He is expected to be hit with a range of federal charges, including theft of government property, according to the source. Photos of the siege showed Mostofsky wearing a police bulletproof vest and carrying a riot shield, which he claimed to have found on the floor of the Capitol.
A screenshot of a video shared with Gothamist showing FBI agents leaving Mostofsky's home with a fur pelt and walking stick
Provided to Gothamist
The alleged rioter is the son of Shlomo Mostofsky, a prominent figure in Brooklyn's modern Orthodox community and former president of the National Council of Young Israel. He was elected to the Kings County Supreme Court last January with the backing of the Brooklyn Democratic Party.
His brother, Nachman Mostofsky, is the vice president of the South Brooklyn Conservative Club, and an elected district leader in the borough, who claims to have connections with high-ranking members of the Trump administration. The source said that Aaron was staying at his brother's home when he was arrested.
The attempted coup left five people dead, including a police officer who was beaten to death by pro-Trump rioters on the steps of the Capitol.
At least 13 people are facing federal charges for their role in the insurrection. Mostofsky is expected to make his appearance in court on Tuesday afternoon.
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Jake Offenhartz
Jake Offenhartz is a former Gothamist reporter.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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