Sangamon Sun

A Springfield man who was arrested and charged with storming the U.S. Capitol in the January insurrection has a history of criminal activity.

Thomas Adams, 39, was locked up five times over 20 years by the Springfield PD, according to KHQA News. 

In 2001, Adams was charged with burglary.

In 2002, Adams pled guilty to a 2002 residential burglary in Samgon County and was sentenced to serve four years. In the same year, he was charged twice for cannabis possession. 

In 2004, Adams was charged with driving under the influence. 

In 2016, he was charged again with possession of drug equipment. 

Adams admitted to being at the U.S. Capitol building and on the Senate floor in the Jan. 6 riot after recorded videos of himself and his friends in the riot were made available. 

Adams reportedly trampled police barricades wearing a Trump flag around his neck and described the events as "a really fun time."

The man claimed to not understand that what he was doing was illegal until he encountered broken glass on the ground in the Capitol building. He said in the FBI statement of facts that he thought the riot was supposed to be a "peaceful occupy" of the Capitol. 

According to News Channel 20, Adams doesn't think all of the rioters should face consequences because "not everyone did things that were wrong, and some people felt they were peacefully entering a building."

The riot was condemned by lawmakers across the country. 

“I join with colleagues across the aisle and across the country in condemning the actions we have seen in our nation's capital," said Senate President Don Harmon (D-Oak Park), according to a Center Square article. "The peaceful transition of power is a hallmark of our great democracy. To disrupt that transition is an affront to the very fabric of the United States of America. The U.S. Capitol has stood strong in the face of attacks by confederates and terrorists. We will survive today's sad acts to once again be a beacon of hope, change and equality for the world.”