Poker player Jon Heneghan was charged over his participation in the January 2021 Capitol building riot. Heneghan was found to be among a mob of around 2,000 Trump supporters who attacked the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, after Joe Biden won the presidential election. Almost 800 suspects have so far been arrested in relation to the attack.
Heneghan and Girlfriend Arrested by FBI
Heneghan’s arrest came after video footage from the Pinktober Poker Open showing him playing in a seniors event matched to camera footage from the Capitol building when the riot happened. The Pinktober Poker Open took place at the Seminole Hard Rock poker room in Tampa, Florida five months ago. Evidence was presented to US District Court
Judge Robin Meriweather.
The FBI initially identified Heneghan through phone GPS data provided by Google. In the process, authorities were also able to trace his girlfriend Carol Kicinski who was also involved in the Capitol building invasion. Footage shows Heneghan and Kicinski, who’s wearing a Trump hat, being part of the pro-Trump mob who stormed the Capitol building in an attempt to prevent Congress from approving Biden’s victory.
By sifting through tons of video footage and mobile location data, authorities have so far nabbed 725 people for their involvement in the riot which claimed five lives – four Trump supporters and one police officer.
Jon Heneghan’s Poker Background
Heneghan is not to be confused with poker legend and Poker Hall of Famer John Hennigan, a six-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner.
Heneghan is largely unknown in the poker world, though his Hendon Mob record says that he is also a World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner.
The 57-year-old triumphed in a $1,000 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em event during the 2005 WSOP, outclassing veterans Freddie Deeb and Barry Greenstein at the final table. That win earned him $611,015 in top prize which also makes up most of his total live earnings ($658,350). It also represents his first-ever live tournament cash.
While little is known about Heneghan, his girlfriend is a popular figure among fitness enthusiasts.
Kicinski is a gluten-free advocate and the founder and editor-in-chief of the Simply Gluten Free magazine. She appears on the morning TV show Daytime as a gluten-free TV chef doing cooking segments. The syndicated show reaches 80 million households monthly across 140 cities in the US, including Los Angeles, New York, Tampa, and Chicago.
The Capitol Riot
The Capitol invasion was widely believed to have been sparked by Trump who tweeted allegations of vote irregularities and fraud ahead of his rally in Washington DC.
When the rally took place, Trump urged his supporters to converge on the Capitol. In the middle of his speech, his supporters could be seen wielding flags and weapons as they marched towards the police barrier. While Trump was speaking, the crowd was chanting “Fight for Trump”.
Shortly after Congress commenced the certification process, Trump’s supporters began attacking the police officers. They broke through the windows of the Capitol building and kicked the doors open so the others could enter. Vice President Mike Pence and other officials were immediately evacuated as the mob approached.
While the riot was ongoing, Trump continued to make allegations on Twitter, accusing Pence of not being brave enough to protect the country and the Constitution. He later called on his supporters whom he referred to as “great patriots” to go home in the name of peace. While he eventually acknowledged the results of the election, he went on making false claims about the vote.
A day after the Capitol riot, Biden was formally confirmed by Congress as the 46th US President.
