A new downtown Asheville business owner, who was convicted and later pardoned by President Donald Trump for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot, is facing community backlash for his participation in the insurrection.
Lewis Easton Cantwell, 40, of Canton, founded Moon & Root Apothecary, which held a grand opening at 51 College St. on May 1. He told the Citizen Times May 13 that the kava bar is part of an effort to rebuild his life, but for the past week he has faced online attacks and harassment.
On Feb. 5, 2021, a federal grand jury indicted Cantwell on six counts: aiding and abetting civil disorder; obstructing an official proceeding; entering and remaining in a restricted government area; disruptive and disorderly conduct in a restricted government area; disorderly and disruptive conduct in a Capitol building; and parading, demonstrating or picketing in the Capitol.
He pleaded guilty Feb. 16, 2022, to one felony charge of obstructing, impeding, or interfering with law enforcement during the commission of civil disorder, and served five months in prison.
Cantwell was shown in pictures and video as part of a violent mob that pushed through police officers and worked to “propel a flagpole” toward police, according to previous Citizen Times reporting.
Cantwell also yelled for rioters to open a door to one of the Capitol buildings and for “fresh patriots” to go to the front, the Citizen Times reported.
His sentence was one of the harshest among those who breached the Capitol, and he served it before President Donald Trump pardoned nearly 1,600 Capitol rioters in January 2025.
Cantwell, who served for two years as a private in the U.S. Army, previously owned a now-shuttered Sylva tea and kava bar called Sip’ Sum. He is listed in state records as the founder and owner of Moon & Root Apothecary.
“I understand why people have strong feelings regarding my past involvement surrounding Jan. 6. I have already taken responsibility for my actions, served my sentence and spent years working to rebuild my life and move forward in a positive direction,” Cantwell told the Citizen Times May 13 via text.
“I am no longer involved in politics or political movements of any kind and have intentionally distanced myself from that world entirely,” Cantwell added. “My focus for years now has been on building community-centered businesses and creating welcoming spaces for people from all backgrounds.”
Cantwell faces Asheville backlash
Cantwell has come under fire online for his role on Jan. 6. One user called him “unrepentant” in a May 7 Reddit post.
“All the kava in the world won’t straighten him out unfortunately,” read one comment on the post.
Google reviews also highlighted Cantwell’s previous conviction.
“This place sucks. My kava was really weak but still gave me feelings of grandiose, made me want to try and overthrow the democratically elected government,” one reviewer wrote on May 12. “1/6 stars.”
Another commented on May 11 that there are other “enjoyable, inclusive spaces in Asheville.”
“This is not one of those spaces. It is not women owned. It is owned by a man whose anniversary is January 6th,” the person wrote.
In a text message, Cantwell said that he regrets his participation in the riot.
“I’m not trying to run from my past or pretend it didn’t happen. I made a terrible decision during a period of my life where I was heavily caught up in politics and political movements,” he said.
“I lost my career, my businesses, financial stability, friendships, and pretty much the life I had built before all of this.”
He said that he struggled to find work after his conviction.
“I don’t follow politics anymore. I’m not involved with Trump, right-wing groups, activism, or any political movement whatsoever. At this point, I honestly just want peace and a normal life.”
Cantwell said that Moon & Root, which is fantasy themed, is his attempt to create something fun, creative and welcoming that would bring people together.
“Instead, over the last several days, I’ve watched people who have never met me try to destroy everything I’ve worked for. The business has been hit with coordinated false reviews, nonstop harassment, prank calls, online attacks and even unrelated people and businesses being targeted just for knowing me,” he said.
“I understand people disagreeing with me or not wanting to support me because of my past. But I do believe people are capable of changing, growing and rebuilding their lives after making mistakes.
“I’m not asking anyone to forget what happened. I’m just asking people to understand that human beings are more complicated than the worst moment of their lives.”
He said he isn’t sure what the future of Moon & Root looks like, but for now, he’s going to try to keep the kava bar open.
“Part of me wants to keep fighting for something I poured years of work, savings, and hope into building. Another part of me is exhausted from feeling like my past follows me no matter how hard I try to move forward,” he said.
“But for now, my intention is to keep the doors open, continue treating people kindly and try to push through this the best I can.”
Reporting by Kara Fohner, Asheville Citizen Times / Asheville Citizen Times
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
