CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y. — A Cheektowaga man who was wanted and arrested by the FBI for his alleged involvement with the attack on the U.S. Capitol last week appeared virtually in federal court Thursday afternoon.

Peter Harding, 47, is charged with knowingly entering and remaining on restricted grounds without lawful authority and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.

Harding did not enter a plea of no contest or guilty.

On January 6, Harding was photographed and recorded allegedly holding a lighter up to plastic on a pile of news equipment. The image was shared on several social media platforms. The FBI also put out an image of Harding inside the Capitol Building.

When that happened, according to Harding's defense team, he contacted the FBI. The U.S. attorney, however, said Harding left his Cheektowaga home on January 12 once he learned the FBI was looking for him.

Ultimately, Harding was arrested the night of January 13, at his friend's home in Elma.

Harding is no stranger to protests. He's organized rallies and helped create the group "Watchmen New York." Spectrum News spoke with him at a "Reopen NY" rally in Niagara Square this past summer.

"We are doing community outreach for neighborhoods that are being terrorized by Antifa and Black Lives Matter,” Harding told Spectrum News this past summer. “Police departments are being told to stand by at this point. We are out here helping them."

With the prosecution's concern that Harding could "disrupt the Constitution further in the coming days," he was released to his Cheektowaga home, but will be electronically monitored. He also cannot leave Western New York, unless traveling to D.C. for court.

If convicted, Harding faces six months to a year in prison, a $100,000 fine, and post-release supervision.