A Northern California man who fled the United States after allegedly assaulting police officers at the U.S. Capital on Jan. 6, 2021, has been granted political asylum in Belarus, state media there announced this week.
Evan Neumann, 49, who lived in Mill Valley in Marin County, was indicted in December 2021 on 14 counts, including assaulting officers and entering a restricted building with a dangerous weapon. But by then, according to the FBI, he was already in Belarus, a former Soviet republic and current staging ground for Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Neumann could not be reached for comment. A man who answered a phone number linked to Neumann's brother and identified himself with the same first name as Neumann's brother hung up when a reporter identified themselves as a Los Angeles Times employee.
