Galesburg Reporter

An Illinois man faces a slew of federal charges in Minnesota and Chicago after being accused of crisscrossing back and forth inciting riots and suggesting attacks on law enforcement during protest demonstrations related to the police killing of George Floyd, according to local reports. 

Matthew Lee Rupert of Galesburg faces an eight-page criminal complaint after authorities allegedly secured video of him rioting, looting and urging attacks on law enforcement, the Chicago Sun-Times reported on June 1.

Rupert, 28, went before Chicago-based U.S. District Chief Judge Rebecca Pallmeyer for a telephonic hearing on Monday, where he maintained his innocence and was ordered extradited to Minnesota, the Sun-Times reported.

The charges against Rupert come as federal authorities dig deeper to determine if extremist groups surreptitiously gained access and standing in protests across the country to cause destruction and tilt gatherings toward violence, the Sun-Times reported. Federal agents are also looking into reports that foreign adversaries may have staged disinformation campaigns on social media to further stoke chaos and confusion.

While investigators have not directly tied Rupert to any organization, the complaint against him is spliced throughout with information about a Facebook account for “El Ricco Rupert” traced back to him, the Sun-Times reported.

According to investigators, Rupert at one point allegedly posted “I’m going to Minneapolis tomorrow who coming only goons I’m renting hotel rooms.”

Soon after that, he is alleged to have posted a video of himself passing out explosives in a segment where he strongly hints of being in Minneapolis and is later observed appearing to set a Sprint store ablaze, the Sun-Times reported.

Not long after that, Rupert returned to Chicago, where he posted a video of himself at the center of a crowd near Van Buren and Dearborn wearing an American flag bandana and a white baseball cap and barking “let’s start a riot” and “I’m going to start doing some damage," the Sun-Times reported. 

During Monday’s court proceedings, the Minnesota Star Tribune reported that authorities presented the live-streamed videos as evidence against Rupert, including one from Minnesota where he allegedly proclaims "He's throwing my bombs ... they're going to bomb the police with them" and “good shot, my boy” after one of the explosions.

Chicago police took Rupert into custody early Sunday morning for violating the city’s emergency curfew, the Sun-Times reported. 

A search of his car turned up “several destructive devices” that bore similarities to those he is alleged to have used during his spree in Minneapolis, according to the report.