Narrowsburg native Edward Jacob Lang - who documented on social media channels his active participation in the riots at the U.S. Capitol on January 6 - has been scheduled for trial on October 17, according to an order late last week from Judge Carl J. Nichols of the District Court for the District of Columbia.
As previously reported, Lang faces multiple felony charges since his initial indictment by a federal grand jury in January 2021. The Department of Justice has alleged that Lang struck and kicked multiple law enforcement officers on January 6.
"The Defendant is prominently featured in many of those videos and photos and can be seen on surveillance footage repeatedly fighting against the law enforcement officers guarding
the Lower West Terrace doors from nearly the beginning of the fighting at 2:40 p.m. to nearly the end around 5 p.m., shortly before the rioters were finally expelled from the second landing of the Lower West Terrace," the DOJ alleged in documents filed with the DC court in September.
As one example of Lang's activities, it alleged:
"As shown in Exhibit F, the BWC footage from Sgt. J.M. from the same time of around 2:57 p.m., LANG can be seen repeatedly kicking at the officer as he is stuck up against the door.
As Sgt. J.M. is bent forward trying to hold onto his shield at the time, his BWC faces downward. The first kick is visible at 2:57.17; the second kick at 2:57.32; the third kick at 2:57.38; the fourth kick at 2:57.40; and the fifth kick at 2:57.52. "
A Getty photographer's capture of Lang shows him wielding a baseball bat in one hand and a police shield in another while wearing a gas mask and that is part of the evidence in the government's complaint.
Photo by Brent Stirton for Getty Images. Editor's note: The SullivanTimes on January 21, 2021 purchased this photo from Getty images, which means it is licensed ONLY to this media outlet by law. If you want to share this, you can only legally share the link to this post. Thanks.
Immediately following January 6, Lang allegedly made attempts for some 10 days before his arrest to recruit others on the social media app Telegram to commit more violence leading up to President Joe Biden's inauguration.
“Everyone needs to get 5 patriots in this group tonight that’s the goal 🙌🏻🇺🇸🗽,” Lang wrote in a chat on Jan. 9, one of more than 2,500 messages obtained by ProPublica. “We need each person to go out and fight for new members of this Militia like our lives depend on it.”
In December, Lang rejected a plea deal that would have resulted in jail time of six to seven years.
Lang, 26, is the son of Ned Lang, the former Town of Tusten council member and entrepreneur who has been a financial and vocal supporter of former President Donald Trump. The elder Lang has also appeared at demonstrations over the past year and in the media alleging that his son is a political prisoner and that he can't get a fair trial in Washington, D.C.
In January of this year, Lang lost his appeal to be released while awaiting trial.
The SullivanTimes reported exclusively last August that just a few weeks before the Capitol riots, Lang was in Ohio and allegedly assaulted his childhood friend from Sullivan.
The FBI arrested Lang at his Newburgh home on January 16, 2021. He is being held at a federal prison in Lewisburg, PA after being transferred a few months ago from the District of Columbia jail. Lang and his attorneys had complained about conditions at the DC jail where Lang alleges he was locked up for 18 hours a day during one period of his detention.
The SullivanTimes was the first media outlet worldwide to report that Lang appeared to be one of the rioters at the Capitol.
