After the FBI issued an arrest warrant for Realtor Jenna Ryan, who proudly posted pictures and videos of herself participating in the Capitol riots last week, federal agents arrested the 50-year-old and conducted a search of her Carrollton home. The FBI is asking for the public’s help to identify those involved in criminal activity during the Jan. 6 Capitol riots. Also as brands distance themselves from her, a court records search reveals Ryan has a criminal history including misdemeanor assault.
According to the criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, Jennifer Leigh Ryan stands accused of knowingly entering or remaining in restricted building or grounds without lawful authority. She is also accused of disorderly conduct on the Capitol grounds.
Among the evidence cited on the official complaint were Ryan’s own social media posts and surveillance footage.
According to the affidavit:
“Ryan stated, ‘Y’all know who to hire for your realtor. Jenna Ryan for your realtor.’ By minute 08:45 of the video, Ryan has made it to the front door of the building, clearly desecrated, with broken glass windows shattered, and security alarms sounding, as she yells ‘U-S-A! U-S-A!’ and ‘Here we are, in the name of Jesus!’“
The affidavit specifically notes one video where Ryan is heard to say, “We are going to f—ing go in here. Life or death, it doesn’t matter. Here we go,” as she approaches the top of the stairs in front of the columns immediately in front of the doors on the west side of the U.S. Capitol building.
FBI Special Agent Amie C. Stemen reviewed surveillance footage captured on January 6, 2021 from cameras inside the Capitol building and identified multiple images that depict Ryan entering the Capitol building through the Rotunda door and attempting to walk through the crowds, consistent with their locations as captured in Ryan’s own videos.
Following her arrest, law enforcement officials executed a search warrant at Ryan’s home in Carrollton’s Mustang Park.
Not Ryan’s First Arrest
We found that Ryan does have an arrest record.
According to Collin County court records, Ryan was arrested in April 2010 for Class C assault and failed to appear for her subsequent court date. In 2011, she was charged with a string of moving violations, including driving on a prohibited shoulder road, driving with an invalid license, and then driving with a suspended license.
In 2013 she was charged with driving while her license was invalid with a previous conviction or suspension without final resolution, jail records show. She was booked by the Plano Police Department and posted a $500 bond. She was later issued an occupational driver’s license that same year, which permits her to drive for work, school-related activities, or essential household duties.
Brands Distance Themselves From Ryan
Ryan has also presented herself as a radio personality, claiming to host her own show on radio station KFXR 1190 AM. While listeners may have heard her on the air, representatives from parent company iHeart Media say she was never employed at the station.
“The person in question, Jenna Ryan, is not now, nor has she ever has been an employee of iHeart Media,” DFW Region President Kelly Kibler Owens said. “It is my understanding she purchased block programming on KFXR-AM to promote her business but has likewise not been a client since March of 2020.”
References on her time at the radio station have since been scrubbed from her LinkedIn page, as have references to her former affiliation RE/MAX Dallas suburbs. When officials with that brokerage discovered that she had not updated her online profile, they quickly took action.
“We can confirm that this agent is not a part of the RE/MAX network and hasn’t been since 2017,” company spokesperson Samantha Rotbart said. “We are actively asking that she remove RE/MAX affiliations from her social media profiles.”
FBI Press Conference Details National Effort
In a press conference Friday afternoon, a spokesperson for the FBI Dallas Field Office announced three arrests in connection with the Jan. 6 insurrection.
The North Texas suspects include Larry Rendell Brock Jr. of Grapevine and Jenna Ryan of Frisco, who’ve been the subject of “high visibility” media coverage, the spokesman said, and a third suspect, Troy Anthony Smocks, who posted threats of violence on a now-defunct Parler social media account. He was arrested in 2000 for impersonating a peace officer, Collin County records show.
The FBI asked that North Texas residents who were involved in the Jan. 6 insurrection turn themselves in. The FBI spokesman said the agency nationwide is combing through more than 100,000 pieces of digital media submitted as tips and evidence, and they are actively looking to identify “every single person who was involved in the siege at the Capitol.
“If you were involved, it’s a much better play to come to us,” the FBI official said.
The FBI has posted Seeking Information posters with pictures of persons of interest on its web site and asks the public to submit information, photos, or videos that could be relevant at fbi.gov/USCapitol.
Associate Editor Shelby Skrhak contributed to this report.
