Beverly Hills Residents Charged With Participating in U.S. Capitol Violence

LOS ANGELES (CNS) - A Beverly Hills salon owner and a prominent anti-vaxxer physician and her spokesman are due in federal court in downtown Los Angeles today to face charges of participating in the violent takeover of the U.S. Capitol.

Gina Bisignano, 52, was arrested this morning, and Simone Gold, 55, and John Strand, 37, were taken into custody Monday, according to FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller.

The defendants -- all three are Beverly Hills residents – are expected to make their initial court appearances Los Angeles federal court this afternoon on charges filed in the District of Columbia. The charging documents are expected to be unsealed at the time of their appearance.

Bisignano is the owner of Gina's Eyelashes and Skincare in Beverly Hills.

Gold, a former Southland emergency room doctor, was seen in an online video holding a bullhorn and making a speech inside the Capitol building during the Jan. 6 siege.

Last year, Gold -- founder of the group America's Frontline Doctors -- promoted the drug hydroxychloroquine as a coronavirus treatment despite evidence that it is not effective and causes serious side effects. She has also raised unfounded concerns about COVID-19 vaccines, which she has called an “experimental, biological agent deceptively named a vaccine.''

Strand is the communications director of Gold's group, which gained national attention last July when she and other physicians appeared in front of the Supreme Court to decry pandemic lockdowns and criticize government efforts to stop the spread of the virus.  Video of the event organized by conservative activists went viral after being retweeted by President Donald Trump.

Last week, a Glendora man was arrested and charged in the District of Columbia with one federal count each of damaging or destroying government property, obstruction of an official proceeding, and violent entry and disorderly conduct on capitol grounds, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Hunter Allen Ehmke, 20, made his initial court appearance Thursday before a Los Angeles magistrate judge, who granted the defendant's release on a $40,000 bond, and ordered him to appear in federal court in the District of Columbia on Jan. 21.

Ehmke allegedly attempted to break a window at the Capitol during the takeover.

Photo: Getty Images


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