House member’s chief of staff charged with carrying a gun into US Capitol complex
Texas Republican Rep. Pete Sessions’ chief of staff was charged Wednesday with bringing a firearm into the U.S. Capitol complex, according to court documents obtained by CNN.
Luis Angel Vega appeared in D.C. Superior Court on Friday on charges stemming from an alleged incident in December.
Vega faces two charges: carrying an unregistered gun outside his home and carrying a firearm on Capitol grounds.
He was handcuffed and his white button-down shirt was unbuttoned. The judge released him without paying bail.
According to court documents, in December, Capitol security officers found the black handgun and ammunition Vega was allegedly carrying as he checked his bag through the security checkpoint at the entrance of the House office building, which is part of the Capitol complex. They then instructed Vega to lock the firearm in his car and then return to recheck his bag, which he did, according to paperwork.
Charging documents describe a phone call U.S. Capitol Police had with Vega a week after the alleged Dec. 22 incident. Vega told the officer that he was not licensed to carry a handgun, according to court records, and that he usually entered the House office building with Sessions — referred to in documents as “Witness-1” — who was exempt from magazines.
In the court records, it was stated that “The day of the crime was an unusual day because Witness-1 entered the building separately from the defendant and the defendant forgot that he had a gun in his bag.”
It’s unclear why the warrant for Vega’s arrest was issued months after the incident, prompting his first court hearing to be held Friday.
CNN has reached out to Session’s office for comment. Vega’s attorney has not yet been determined.
U.S. Capitol Police did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office declined to comment Friday on the charging decision in the case.
Vega’s next hearing will be held on June 10.
CNN’s Ellis Kim contributed to this report.
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