A Summerfield man is being held without bond after he was tracked down by the FBI for his alleged role in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.
Michael Curzio, 35, was one of six individuals observed “on the Upper Level of the United States Capitol Visitors Center near the door to the House Atrium” during the riot. Officials said Curzio was standing near the front of the crowd and ignored a Capitol Hill police officer’s order to leave the building.
Curzio was taken into custody Thursday afternoon in a joint operation by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI Jacksonville Division, and in coordination with the FBI Washington Field Office.
Curzio was among the first individuals to be charged federally for his role in the riot and assault on the U.S. Capitol. The charges, announced by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia on Jan. 7, include knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority; or knowingly, with intent to impede government business or official functions, engaging in disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds; and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.
“The FBI respects the rights of individuals to peacefully exercise their First Amendment rights, but we will not tolerate those who seek to incite violence or wreak havoc on our established institutions,” said Rachel L. Rojas, special agent in charge of the FBI Jacksonville Division. “We will continue to hold accountable those who were responsible for last week’s violent actions, and coordinate with our federal, state, and local partners to ensure safety in all North Florida communities in the future.”
Curzio was released from a Florida prison on Feb. 7, 2019 after serving time on a charge of attempted first degree murder.
Marion County deputies had been called April 23, 2012 to a home in Summerfield where Curzio shot a man in the chest. He and the man had been arguing over Curzio’s ex-girlfriend, who witnessed the shooting. She admitted that she was aware Curzio purchased ammunition the day before.
When the man who had been shot was interviewed by deputies at UF Health Shands Hospital in Gainesville, he said that as he lay wounded on the home’s front porch, he heard Curzio tell the woman, “I told you I was going to do this.”
