A lobbyist who works for a Native American group reportedly attempted to bring a loaded handgun into a House office building last week.
Kimberly Barber, 34, was taken into custody after Capitol Police officers discovered the weapon during a routine security screening on Friday, Politico reports.
The firearm was said to be in one of two suitcases Barber carried as she attempted to get into the Cannon House Office Building. She was arrested and charged with unlawful possession of a weapon, which is a misdemeanor.
Barber is an administrative service officer who works in the Washington, D.C., office of Navajo Nation, according to court filings uncovered by NBC News 4.
NBC News 4 said Barber told investigators she was carrying a gun belonging to a senior police officer with the Navajo Nation Police Department. Barber also said she did not know there was a firearm in one of the suitcases.
According to the Navajo Nation's Washington website, Barber is listed as a member of the Táchii'nii (Red Running into the Water) Clan and previously worked for the National Indian Child Welfare Association in Portland, Ore.
The Navajo Nation is a Native American territory covering more than 17,500,000 acres in Arizona, Utah and New Mexico — the largest land area retained by a U.S. tribe.
The incident did not come to light until Wednesday when it was mentioned in a weekly report issued by authorities. NBC News 4 said the attorney general's office in Washington is prosecuting the case.
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