LI Funeral Home Owner Arrested,​ Sprayed Officer In Jan 6. Riot: DOJ

BAYPORT, NY —The co-owner of a chain of Long Island funeral homes was arrested and charged Wednesday for spraying foam insecticide at a law enforcement officer during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice announced.

Peter G. Moloney, 58, of Bayport, co-owner of Moloney Family Funeral Homes, is charged in a criminal complaint filed in the District of Columbia with assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers, civil disorder, assault by striking, entering, and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, and other charges, officials said.

On Jan. 6, 2021, Moloney was among the early members of a mob illegally massed on the West Plaza of the Capitol during the initial breach of the Capitol grounds, according to court documents.

As the police officers used barricades to attempt to keep the rioters, Moloney put on a helmet, protective eyewear, gloves, and a face covering.

At about 1:30 p.m., Moloney removed a can of hornet and yellow jacket killer spray from his backpack and used it on police officers, spraying it in the direction of the officers’ faces and bodies.

Moloney sprayed police officers with the insecticide on at lease one other occasion, officials said.

Additionally, on two separate occasions, Moloney joined other rioters in surrounding and striking people whom the mob believed were news media members.

His actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the presidential election, officials said.

Moloney is expected to make his initial appearance later today in the Eastern District of New York.

Dan Moloney of Moloney Funeral Homes addressed the arrest in a statement to Patch:

"For over 90 years the Moloney family has served our neighbors during their most trying times and has a long and proud history of supporting the law enforcement and first responder communities."

He continued to write:

"The alleged actions taken by an individual on his own time are in no way reflective of the core values of Moloney Funeral Home, which is dedicated to earning and maintaining the trust of all members of the community of every race, religion and nationality.”

The funeral home operates locations in Lake Ronkonkoma, Holbrook, Central Islip, Port Jefferson Station, Bohemia, Center Moriches, and Hauppague.

The case is being investigated by the FBI’s New York Field Office (Long Island Resident Agency) and the FBI’s Washington Field Office, which identified Moloney as No. 199 on its seeking information photos, U.S. Department of Justice said.

In the 29 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,000 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including over 270 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement.

The investigation remains ongoing.