The Slatington area man charged in connection with the Jan. 6 capitol riot should not be confused with the event’s worst actors, his lawyer says.

Craig Bingert’s attorney, Richard Fuschino Jr., said he’s mortified by what took place and warned against judging all the participants equally.

“There were people who were there to protest properly, and people who went with the intention to cause trouble,” Fuschino said. “And there were people who didn’t go with that intention but ended up making trouble.”

The FBI charged Bingert, 30, last week, based on police body camera footage from the riot. They say he was one of a group of people who shoved a metal barricade into police officers as the crowd pushed toward the Capitol building.

He faces one count of interfering with law enforcement during a civil disorder.

Fuschino said he was disgusted by what took place at the Capitol, but he said his client shouldn’t be lumped with those who breached the building,

“What he’s accused of is far from some of these knuckleheads who were actually inside the Capitol,” Fuschino said.

According to court papers, Bingert saw that his photo was being circulated as a person of interest in the riot.

He contacted an attorney who arranged for him to surrender to authorities in Pennsylvania.

Fuschino said Bingert sought to turn himself in because he understood that he was being charged, not because he was admitting that he did anything illegal.

“That’s not an admission of guilt. That’s a person being responsible and proactive and a good citizen,” he said.

According to court documents, the photo Bingert saw captured several people pushing a barricade into Metropolitan Police Department officers as they attempted to access the Capitol grounds and building.

Bingert is reportedly seen pushing the barrier toward officers, then lifting it up so others can duck underneath.

The maximum penalty associated with the charge against Bingert is five years in prison, and fines.

A graduate of Northern Lehigh High School in 2008, he played varsity football. He went on to Lehigh Carbon Community College, where he obtained a degree in criminal justice.

Bingert was appointed to the Pennsylvania State Police Academy in 2015 but left after a week, the agency said.

Following a hearing last week, authorities agreed that Bingert could be released pending trial. He must remain within the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, with the exception of traveling to Washington, D.C., where the remainder of his case will take place.

Bingert’s next court appearance will take place sometime in the next three weeks in D.C.