An exclusive report by NBC New York reveals the FBI has conducted searches of two apartments belonging to 69 year old Joseph Bolanos – one on 76th between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue, the other in Washington Heights – on suspicions that he was involved in the January 6 capitol riots. Bolanos is also the president of the 76th Street Park Block Association.
According to the report, the FBI combed through both buildings in search of evidence. Bolanos was rushed to the hospital when the agents arrived, apparently panicking at the sight of them.
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Some of Bolanos’ Upper West Side neighbors interviewed for the report say that he talked about January 6 “as if it were a great day.”
“I was walking down the street and I overheard him bragging about having been there and having video,” said one neighbor.
Joseph Bolanos has been an Upper West Sider for over 45 years, and has long been known as a community activist. From 2000-20003, he was the president of the 20th Precinct Community Council, and at the height of the pandemic, he started dancing on his Upper West Side street to show solidarity and support to frontline and essential workers.
But some of those who know him told NBC they noticed a change in his behavior over the last few months.
NBC reports that Bolanos is not yet facing any charges. We’ve reached out to him for comment and will provide an update if and when he gets back to us.
Prosecute to the full extent of the law. Proud to be a traitor. Lock him up.
Treason is the unforgiveable crime. Whatever happened to the wall?
Eeech. Looks like 76th St Blk Assoc has some house cleaning to do.
Poor Joe. First of all, I was the President of the 20th Precinct Community Council in 2003. Plus, Joe was thrown off the Council for writing a letter behind the Council’s back to the Police Commissioner in which he used ethnic slurs to describe a Detective, amongst other things. Going off the rails is not new for Joe. If he was at the Capitol, and breeched security and participated in any riot, he needs to be prosecuted. It’s a sad end to someone who cared about the neighborhood, but who’s ego often got the better of him.
Not for nothing, but innocent til proven guilty is an important and foundational principal in our living as a free people. How about instead of hate mongering, we focus on the things we’re grateful for, like our freedom, instead of dwelling on a past that’s inconsequential to our lives’ moving forward at this point. If you really and actually feel like he deserves death (treason is punishable by death), especially before he has even been charged with a crime, you pose a far greater risk to our way of life than anyone else.
I hardly think any of the comments here could be considered “hate mongering.” And the past is never “inconsequential.” It simply is and was, and facts matter. And mentioning treason — which storming the Capitol Building was — is in no way related to the “death penalty.” Good God — what the hell is wrong with you?! Is all the Trump insanity contagious, like the coronavirus? And I don’t know what “way of life” you’re referring to, but I hardly think posting a few comments on a blog on the West Side Rag is a threat to any “way of life,” unless reality threatens your life. But if you’re one of those seditious Trump supporters, perhaps reality is a threat to your “way of life.” Trump supporters seem to live in an alternate universe where reality is a threat. Get over it. I clearly don’t subscribe to your whacked out “way of life.” Your comments are inane.
Bravo
I thought you were kind.
Mr JB has a history of issues, and his disdain for Democrats did not begin jst yesterday..
I never knew he had any political issues. I just knew he had issues.
I agree that we should not be rushing to judgment here. Maybe he was in D.C., maybe he was not; maybe he participated in something other than the rally, maybe he didn’t. It is far too early to know. If he did do something deserving of being charged, then he should be charged. If not, he has the right to go about his life without being demonized. People are entitled to their political beliefs (as long as they express them peacefully), no matter how much we may disagree with them.
True though if he did nothing wrong, why did he panic at the sight of the police?
Excellent question. It’s not like we don’t see cops in Manhattan 24/7. Of course, seeing the FBI rummaging through your own apartment is different. But then again, the FBI has to get a search warrant first; and to get a search warrant, they had to have probable cause. He “probably” has some reason to panic.
It wasn’t police. It was FBI agents, without a warrant. you would be pretty freaked out too if the FBI showed up without a warrant and began searching your house. Given what happened to Breonna Taylor, it is not exactly surprising.
The FBI can not go through your apartment without a warrant. They are just like any other law enforcement organization, but on a federal level. It would be a violation of the Fourth Amendment regarding search and seizure. (Apparently, they gave Joe a seizure.) They were probably searching for footage he must have told someone he had. Or maybe he was recognized in footage. Or maybe someone gave him up. But the FBI has to have a warrant, just like anyone else. The only time a warrant isn’t necessary is “exigent circumstances” — i.e. imminent danger, like a bomb or someone holding a living hostage or someone opening fire.
Then the article was changed to reflect that. The article originally said, “…the FBI has conducted warrantless searches of two apartments…” The word “warrantless” has now been removed. But it definitely said that at first.
Reporters work too fast sometimes.
Or if the individual gives consent to the search.
Joe is a hypocrite…..
He needs to recover,and RESIGN.
What happened at the capitol was terrible, but doesn’t even compare with the months of violence and destruction we had to endure throughout the country. That was real anarchy. The national guards should’ve been called in to stop it immediately using any methods necessary
Wow. What a sad commentary on this country when people can’t comprehend the difference between spontaneous protests over the very REAL deaths of people who were simply “Living While Black,” and the very calculated, premeditated attempt to overturn the government of the United States spurned on by two years of very fake, calculated LIES about “election fraud,” “election steal,” and a “Trump landslide.” Very REAL deaths versus very FAKE lies. I’ll say it again, because it’s so important – REAL deaths versus FAKE LIES. Spontaneous versus planned and calculated. Grass roots versus Presidentially inspired. It’s incredible the lies you have sold yourself. The Capitol Building — one of our most glorious national landmarks and in the middle of a vote to confirm the President of the United States — isn’t a goddamned bodega.
are you crazy?? people were killed, businesses were destroyed, cities were burned down. much worse.
What city was burned down? Who was killed? I don’t mean by common criminals, but by protestors? While there were some incidents of robbery and grand larceny carried out by professional looters and robbers not related to the Floyd protests, but who took advantage of the time to do it. I live in Manhattan. I didn’t see any City burned to the ground, or anyone killed, except at the Capitol. (While there were fires in Portland and Seattle, they were fires. But those cities did not burn to the ground, by any stretch of the imagination.) You should probably turn off the noises in your head, turn off the rapist liars at Fox News, and wake up. You seem to be floating in that Trump delusional world he created, thus resulting in a mob storming the Capitol, thus resulting in this impeachment trial, and because so many of you are delusional and calling your Congresspeople, Trump was acquitted. However, reality, in the form of the FBI, then pays a visit to your home to remind you while you can go into Congress with delusion, you cannot go into court with delusion. The mob that stormed the Capitol was bigger than all the protests combined. 95% of the protests were peaceful marches. The person who killed people was the right wing hole Kyle Rittenhouse. Protests occurred all over the world. What Trump and his propaganda machine did to people like you is really sad. He has completely inverted your brain.
You are. Absolutely delusional and probably on something. You live in another world
Hilarious! I haven’t written anything that is even remotely “delusional?” Why is it that right wing lenmings can do nothing but parrot the comments people make about them?! The only thing I’m “on” is called brain power. But try to think of what City in America “burned down.” We’re all still anxiously waiting for that information. By the way, I was the President of the 20th Precinct Community Council from 1996 to 2010. Bolanos was thrown off the Council — so good luck with your defense of him. I hope you both wind up in the slammer. You sound like you could use a vacation in hell.
I will be happy to debate you publicly on the topic anytime.
There was absolutely NOTHING that occurred during the summer protests that was worse than what this country experienced on January 6th … the disruption of our democratic process and a Presidential election, and trashing the seat of our democracy and a priceless national landmark, while calling for the execution of members of Congress. NOTHING! You are deeply disturbed if you think someone smashing a window at Macy’s is worse. Good God — your priorities are insane and revolting.
Sam, you need help.
That’s such a stupid thing to say. If you can name one city that “burned down,” please do. But you can’t, so you spew personal insults. How people like you even get up in the morning and function is a mystery to me. The ONLY thing Trump cult members can do is spew stupid, infantile, ridiculous, laughable, idiotic insults. This country is a damned mess; we have 73 million braindead lemmings who voted for a seditious con man and compulsive liar, and the only thing his anonymous jackasses can do is spew insults.
On the brighter side, Trump has a busy year ahead of him: He has a tax evasion and fraudulent business investigation in New York; a Georgia investigation for trying to corrupt the election results; multiple sexual assault cases pending; obstruction of justice charges pending; Emoluments Clause violations pending; 3,500 civil lawsuits for his lousy business practices that were on hold while he held public office; and a steely, emotionless, younger wife who knows he paid off a porn star. Oh, yes — and he has lots of debts coming due from foreign banks. It’s estimated by the very right wing “capitalist tool” Forbes magazine that Trump owes as much as $1-billion to foreign banks around the globe. The impeachment trial might have been the least of his concerns. Rumor has it that Russian mobsters don’t like losing money, and Trump’s brand (hotels and golf courses) aren’t something his trailer trash cult can afford. Rest assured, he will never pay off his debts selling red baseball caps or “My Pillows.” You have a very rude awakening coming, Harriet. And Bolanos is still under investigation by the FBI. So, screw you, fool.
I will be happy to debate you publicly on the topic anytime.
Sam: Forget about Harriet. I encountered her during the Lucerne debates, and she is hopeless. You will not get through to her. Don’t waste your time typing.
I figured as much. But if she imagines the Capitol insurrectionists “weren’t that bad,” maybe the FBI should take a look at her January 6th schedule, too. I can’t believe I lived long enough to say that, but I did. What a f—ed up country we’re living in!
Everyone is really missing the bigger picture. Joe — like him or not — was for years concerned with things like bikes on the sidewalk, litter, graffiti, rats, locksmith stickers, and all the things we worked on to beautiful the neighborhood. How does one go from that to bragging about trashing and destroying an irreplaceable historic, national landmark?
Sam, you were saying? Where are the charges? You truly are a sad pathetic hypocrite.
What have I said that relates to the dictionary definition of “hypocrite?” NOTHING! Oh, and another thing — SIUYA! The FBI hasn’t filled any charges yet, so that makes ME “sad and pathetic?” I’M not the one being investigated by the FBI. LOL! You are HILARIOUS! But not in a funny way … in that “I can’t say anything meaningful so let me personally insult you, because that’s all us Trumpanzees can do … is insult people.” I realize that’s what Trumpanzees are known for. Here’s a big shocker, dude — just because that boorish a-hole insulted people for four years doesn’t give you permission to do it. Or do you get your tiny, limp rocks off insulting women? Miranda Devine got taken for quite a ride on this story. I repeat: what made Joe go from caring about the quality of life in the neighborhood to aiding and assisting and bragging about a mob of thousands smashing and trashing (millions of dollars worth) a national landmark? Now, if you have the answer, I’m all ears. If you don’t, save your !@#$%^&*! insults for yourself.
And another thing — for years and years I’ve thought Miranda Devine one of the DUMBEST put-shots in the right wing cannon of lead-headed nimrods. She’s an Australian living in Sydney pretending to be a New Yorker who so cannot grow out of her aging, obsolete, fascist viewpoint that she can’t even bring herself to update the headshot she’s been using for the past 20 years. She’s the Leni Rienenstahl of Rupert’s World. But good luck having it mean something to the FBI. If Bolanos is so distraught, let him get one of those right wing lawyers Trump has in his pocket. Oh wait — can’t use Rudy! Too bad!
And a fourth thing — charges do not necessarily have to be filed immediately in ANY case. Charges are formally filed after prosecutors are convinced they have enough evidence amassed to win a case, not just file a case. Therefore, it took 40 years of investigation of the Etan Patz case before the ADA filed charges against a suspect, even though he was looked at 40 years prior by Detectives. When new Detectives re-opened the case and started from minute one, it proved that subject was the killer. While in some cases the perpetrator is identified immediately, other cases take years. Asking, “Where are the charges?,” is meaningless to everyone except the subject who is all flabbergasted when his braggadocio finally catches up to him. Remember, Bolanos was raided after a neighbor heard him bragging about being at the insurrection. If you do the crime, you have to do the time — on the FBI’s time table, too. Loads of perps are “big men on campus” while they’re bragging … then they shrivel and pass out when the !@#$%^& hits the fan. Richard Loeb fainted in the courtroom when the prosecutor mentioned the death penalty, but when he kidnapped and killed Bobby Franks, he made himself very visible to the press as a neighborhood know-it-all. Whooops! Nerves are a terrible thing, aren’t they?
Joe:
I want to add something to Sam’s several comments. Even if it is true that Mr. Bolanos did nothing wrong and will ultimately be fully exonerated, that does not mean that there is a “witch hunt” going on — the insurrection happened, people were killed, and there are many people who ARE guilty of crimes, and should and will be charged and sentenced. Thus, the Post is “using” Mr. Bolanos (possibly with his tacit approval) to create a phony narrative of what actually happened.
It is the job of the FBI (and local law enforcement) to follow up on what they believe to be credible allegations. Sometimes the allegations turn out not to be true, but the person is still subjected to LEGAL searches and/or seizures in order for those investigations to be completed. Mr. Bolanos may not have “boasted” about his presence in D.C,. on 1/6, but his “tone” was apparently concerning to the person who heard it and reported it. And given the significance of the events of 1/6, the FBI is following up all leads.
If Mr. Bolanos got “caught up” in this situation without actually having violated any laws, that is lamentable. (I was once investigated by the NYPD for something I did not do, and was ultimately fully exonerated, but I don’t blame them for undertaking the investigation.) But it does not mean that the FBI did not have “cause” to investigate, or that the investigations are a “witch hunt.”
And a third thing, Joe Bleau is a very commonly used FAKE name on Facebook. In the real world of LinkedIn, there are 30 — and they’re all in Canada, except one in Brooklyn. Nice try, dude, but hackneyed pseudonym.