On January 6, 2021, President Trump and several prominent conservative figures organized a rally-cum-insurrection at the United States Capitol. After fiery speeches from Trump, Rudy Giuliani, and others, a mob marched to the Capitol building while the electoral vote was being certified by Congress. The angry mob became a riot, overran the scant Capitol Police forces deployed to guard the building, broke in, and nearly succeeded in kidnapping several politicians.
For more details on the criminal procedures related to this event, see the FACoup.
Overview
The Capitol insurrection was a failed coup staged by President Donald Trump in a last-ditch effort to overturn the results of the 2020 US Presidential Election. An angry mob broke into the Capitol, damaged property, and nearly succeeded in attacking or kidnapping politicians. Several people were photographed carrying weapons, flexcuffs, and chemical agents. Many wore body armor.
Dramatic images show the mob assaulting a small police protective force, one ill-equipped for the hundreds or thousands of rioters. People scaled the wall of the Capitol and broke windows. Police were assaulted, one died from wounds suffered during an engagement. As the riot wore down, police simply let the attackers leave, failing to arrest all but a handful that day.
Participants gleefully took to social media during the event. Many posted to Facebook, Twitter, and the nascent and shortlived Conservative media platform, Parler. Despite the ongoing COVID pandemic, few wore masks, making them easy targets for identification. Hackers archived the Parler data and discovered that metadata hadn’t been scrubbed from the media uploads, making it easy to identify attackers. In the wake of the coup, federal investigators began a painstaking process to track down and identify the participants. The resulting investigation marked the single largest investigative effort in bureau history.
Case Summary
| USA v Black, Joshua Matthew (US District Court (DC) — 1:21-mj-49-RMM) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Awaiting Indictment 20-January-2021 (Detention Hearing) |
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| Joshua Black was allegedly pictured in the Senate chamber during the failed January 6, 2021 insurrection. He is photographed with blood on his cheek standing near a man carrying flex cuffs and posted videos from the insurrection to YouTube. | |||
|
Joshua Matthew Black
a.k.a.
LetUsTalk
Joshua Black
|
Knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority 18 U.S.C. §1752(a), (b) (United States Code) |
Charged (Complaint) | Up to 1 year |
| Violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds 40 U.S.C. §5104(e) (United States Code) |
Charged (Complaint) | Up to 6 months | |
| USA v Barnett, Richard (US District Court (DC) — 1:21-mj-13-GMH) | |||
|
Awaiting Indictment 21-January-2021 (Initial Appearance) |
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| Richard "Bigo" Barnett allegedly participated in the January 6, 2021 failed coup, where he was pictured sitting in Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi's office with his feet on the Speaker's desk. | |||
|
Richard Barnett
a.k.a.
Bigo
|
Knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority while carrying a dangerous weapon 18 U.S.C. §1752(a)(1) & (2); (b)(1)(A) (United States Code) |
Charged (Complaint) | Up to 10 years |
| Violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds 40 U.S.C. §5104(e)(2)(C)(D) & (G) (United States Code) |
Charged (Complaint) | Up to 6 months | |
| Theft of public money, property, or records 18 U.S.C. §641 (United States Code) |
Charged (Complaint) | Up to 1 year | |
| USA v Alberts, Christopher Michael (US District Court (DC) — 1:21-mj-10-GMH) | |||
|
Awaiting Indictment 28-January-2021 (Preliminary Hearing) |
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| Christopher Alberts was arrested by DC Metropolitan Police Officers on suspicion of possessing a firearm on the Capitol grounds during the January 6, 2021 failed coup. | |||
|
Christopher Michael Alberts
a.k.a.
Christopher Alberts
|
Possessing a firearm and ammunition on the grounds of the United States Capitol Building 40 U.S.C. §5104(e)(1)(A)(i) (United States Code) |
Charged (Complaint) | Up to 5 years |
| USA v Coffman, Lonnie Leroy (US District Court (DC) — 1:21-cr-4-CKK) | |||
|
Awaiting Trial 17-March-2021 (Status Conference) |
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| Lonnie Coffman allegedly possessed firearms and molotov cocktails during the failed coup on January 6, 2021. His truck was parked near a secure perimiter that had been established after the discovery of pipebombs. Officers saw a firearm while performing a sweep, and upon searching the truck, found eleven molotov cocktails and other weapons. He was arrested when attempting to return to his truck and concealed firearms were allegedly found on him. In his truck was a notepad with contact details for Senator Ted Cruz, Sean Hannity, and a list of "good" people and "bad" people, including a judge. | |||
|
Lonnie Leroy Coffman
a.k.a.
Lonnie Coffman
|
Possession of an unregistered firearm 18 U.S.C. §5861(d), 5841, 5845(f), 5871 (United States Code) |
Indicted | Up to 10 years |
| Carrying a pistol without a license (outside home or place of business) (3 counts) 22 DC Code §4504(a) (DC Code) |
Indicted | Up to 5 years | |
| Carrying a rifle or shotgun without a license (outside home or place of business) (2 counts) 22 DC Code §4504(a-1) (DC Code) |
Indicted | Up to 5 years | |
| Possession of a large capacity ammunition feeding device 7 DC Code §2506.01(b) (DC Code) |
Indicted | Up to 3 years | |
| Possession of an unregistered firearm (5 counts) 7 DC Code §2502.01(a) (DC Code) |
Indicted | Up to 1 year | |
| Unlawful possession of ammunition (5 counts) 7 DC Code §2506.01(a)(3) (DC Code) |
Indicted | 1 year to 10 years | |
| USA v Black, Joshua Matthew (US District Court (DC) — 1:21-cr-3-RCL) | |||
|
Awaiting Trial |
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| Jacob Chansley, the QShaman, allegedly partook in the failed coup on January 6, 2021 at the US Capitol building. Photographed in a viking helmet and carrying a spear, Chansley's bare torso revealed several tattoos commonly associated with esoteric neo-Naziism. He was photographed at the dais in the Senate chamber. | |||
|
Jacob Anthony Chansley
a.k.a.
QShaman
Jacob Angeli
Suspected affiliations:
QAnon
|
Civil disorder 18 U.S.C. §231(a)(3) (United States Code) |
Indicted | Up to 5 years |
| Obstruction of an official proceeding 18 U.S.C. §1512(c)(2) (United States Code) |
Indicted | Up to 20 years | |
| Entering or remaining in a restricted building 18 U.S.C. §1752(a)(1) (United States Code) |
Indicted | Up to 1 year | |
| Disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building 18 U.S.C. §1752(a)(2) (United States Code) |
Indicted | Up to 1 year | |
| Violent entry and disorderly conduct in a Capitol building 40 U.S.C. §5104(e)(2)(A) (United States Code) |
Indicted | Up to 6 months | |
| Parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a capitol building 40 U.S.C. §5104(e)(2)(G) (United States Code) |
Indicted | Up to 6 months | |
| USA v Sealed (US District Court (DC) — 1:21-mj-12-GMH) | |||
|
Awaiting Indictment |
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| These six defendants were arrested for having allegedly participated in the failed coup on January 6, 2021. | |||
| Cindy Fitchett | Knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority 18 U.S.C. §1752(a), (b) (United States Code) |
Charged (Complaint) | Up to 1 year |
| Violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds 40 U.S.C. §5104(e)(2) (United States Code) |
Charged (Complaint) | Up to 6 months | |
| Michael Curzio | Knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority 18 U.S.C. §1752(a), (b) (United States Code) |
Charged (Complaint) | Up to 1 year |
| Violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds 40 U.S.C. §5104(e)(2) (United States Code) |
Charged (Complaint) | Up to 6 months | |
| Douglas Sweet | Knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority 18 U.S.C. §1752(a), (b) (United States Code) |
Charged (Complaint) | Up to 1 year |
| Violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds 40 U.S.C. §5104(e)(2) (United States Code) |
Charged (Complaint) | Up to 6 months | |
| Terry Brown | Knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority 18 U.S.C. §1752(a), (b) (United States Code) |
Charged (Complaint) | Up to 1 year |
| Violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds 40 U.S.C. §5104(e)(2) (United States Code) |
Charged (Complaint) | Up to 6 months | |
| Bradley Rukstales | Knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority 18 U.S.C. §1752(a), (b) (United States Code) |
Charged (Complaint) | Up to 1 year |
| Violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds 40 U.S.C. §5104(e)(2) (United States Code) |
Charged (Complaint) | Up to 6 months | |
| Thomas Gallagher | Knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority 18 U.S.C. §1752(a), (b) (United States Code) |
Charged (Complaint) | Up to 1 year |
| Violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds 40 U.S.C. §5104(e)(2) (United States Code) |
Charged (Complaint) | Up to 6 months | |
| USA v Ciarpelli, Albert A (US District Court (DC) — 1:21-mj-38-RMM) | |||
|
Awaiting Indictment |
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| Albert Ciarpelli allegedly participated in the failed coup on January 6, 2021, where he was photographed multiple times in the Capitol building. | |||
|
Albert A Ciarpelli
a.k.a.
Albert Ciarpelli
|
Knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority 18 U.S.C. §1752(a)(1) (United States Code) |
Charged (Complaint) | Up to 1 year |
| Violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds 40 U.S.C. §5104(e)(2) (United States Code) |
Charged (Complaint) | Up to 6 months | |
| USA v Council, Matthew Ross (US District Court (DC) — 1:21-mj-8-GMH) | |||
|
Awaiting Indictment |
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| Matthew Council allegedly participated in the failed coup on January 6, 2021, where he allegedly shoved a Capitol police officer while being part of the mob. | |||
|
Matthew Ross Council
a.k.a.
Matthew Council
|
Knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority 18 U.S.C. §1752(a)(1) (United States Code) |
Charged (Complaint) | Up to 1 year |
| Violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds 40 U.S.C. §5104(e)(2) (United States Code) |
Charged (Complaint) | Up to 6 months | |
| USA v Evans, Derrick (US District Court (DC) — 1:21-mj-16) | |||
|
Awaiting Indictment |
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| Derrick Evans was a Republican state legislator from West Virginia who allegedly participated in the failed coup on January 6, 2021. He was seen livestreaming from the insurrectionist mob storming the Capitol, shouting "Derrick Evans is in the House!" He resigned his seat shortly after the event. | |||
| Derrick Evans | Knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority 18 U.S.C. §1752(a)(1) (United States Code) |
Charged (Complaint) | Up to 1 year |
| Violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds 40 U.S.C. §5104(e)(2) (United States Code) |
Charged (Complaint) | Up to 6 months | |
| USA v Johnson, Adam (US District Court (DC) — 1:21-mj-20-GMH) | |||
|
Awaiting Indictment |
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| Adam Johnson was allegedy photographed carrying the lectern from the House of Representatives during the failed coup on January 6, 2021. He has been accused of partaking in the insurrection at the Capitol. | |||
| Adam Johnson | Knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority 18 U.S.C. §1752(a)(1) (United States Code) |
Charged (Complaint) | Up to 1 year |
| Violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds 40 U.S.C. §5104(e)(2) (United States Code) |
Charged (Complaint) | Up to 6 months | |
| Theft of public money, property, or records 18 U.S.C. §641 (United States Code) |
Charged (Complaint) | Up to 10 years | |
| USA v Keller, Klete Derik (US District Court (DC) — 1:21-mj-42-RMM) | |||
|
Awaiting Indictment |
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| Klete Keller is a three-time American Olympic gold medalist who allegedly partook in the failed coup on January 6, 2021. He was photographed in the Capitol wearing his Team USA jacket. | |||
|
Klete Derik Keller
a.k.a.
Klete Keller
|
Civil disorder 18 U.S.C. §231(a)(3) (United States Code) |
Charged (Complaint) | Up to 5 years |
| Knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority 18 U.S.C. §1752(a)(1) & (2) (United States Code) |
Charged (Complaint) | Up to 1 year | |
| Violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds 40 U.S.C. §5104(e)(2)(D)(E) & (G) (United States Code) |
Charged (Complaint) | Up to 6 months | |
| USA v Loftus, Kevin Daniel (US District Court (DC) — 1:21-mj-31-RMM) | |||
|
Awaiting Indictment |
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| Kevin Loftus allegedly participated in the failed coup on January 6, 2021, wherein he was photographed in the Capitol building and subsequently found himself on a wanted sheet. He posted to Facebook that he was "in it to win it." | |||
|
Kevin Daniel Loftus
a.k.a.
Kevin Loftus
|
Knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority 18 U.S.C. §1752(a)(1) and (2) (United States Code) |
Charged (Complaint) | Up to 1 year |
| Violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds 40 U.S.C. §5104(e)(2)(A) and (G) (United States Code) |
Charged (Complaint) | Up to 6 months | |
| USA v Fracker, et al (US District Court (DC) — 1:21-mj-36-RMM) | |||
|
Awaiting Indictment |
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| Thomas Robertson and Jacob Fracker are police officers in Rocky Mount, Virginia who allegedly took part in the failed coup on January 6, 2021. They had posted pictures to social media. | |||
|
Thomas Robertson
Suspected affiliations:
Rocky Mount (VA) Police Department
|
Knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority 18 U.S.C. §1752(a)(1) (United States Code) |
Charged (Complaint) | Up to 1 year |
| Violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds 40 U.S.C. §5104(e)(2) (United States Code) |
Charged (Complaint) | Up to 6 months | |
|
Jacob Fracker
Suspected affiliations:
Rocky Mount (VA) Police Department
|
Knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority 18 U.S.C. §1752(a)(1) (United States Code) |
Charged (Complaint) | Up to 1 year |
| Violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds 40 U.S.C. §5104(e)(2) (United States Code) |
Charged (Complaint) | Up to 6 months | |
| USA v Baranyi, Thomas (US District Court (DC) — 1:21-mj-00024-GMH) | |||
|
Awaiting Indictment |
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| Thomas Baranyi allegedly participated in the failed coup on January 6, 2021. He was interviewed outside the Capitol and described being on the scene when Ashli Babbit was shot by a Capitol Police officer. | |||
| Thomas Baranyi | Knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority 18 U.S.C. §1752(a) (United States Code) |
Charged (Complaint) | Up to 1 year |
| Violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds 40 U.S.C. §5104(e)(2) (United States Code) |
Charged (Complaint) | Up to 6 months | |
| USA v Colt, Josiah (US District Court (DC) — 1:21-mj-00021-GMH) | |||
|
Awaiting Indictment |
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| Josiah Colt allegedly partook in the failed coup on January 6, 2021. He was photographed sitting in the seat reserved for Mike Pence, and later gave an interview to media where he mistakenly claimed to have sat in Nancy Pelosi's seat. | |||
| Josiah Colt | Knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority 18 U.S.C. §1752(a)(1) (United States Code) |
Charged (Complaint) | Up to 1 year |
| Violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds 40 U.S.C. §5104(e)(2) (United States Code) |
Charged (Complaint) | Up to 6 months | |
| USA v Munchel et al (US District Court (DC) — 1:21-mj-00071-ZMF) | |||
|
Awaiting Indictment |
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| Eric Munchel and his mother Lisa Eisenhart allegedly participated together in the failed coup on January 6, 2021. Munchel is alleged to have been man in the widely-shared photograph showing a man with flexcuffs leaping over a railing. He was found after an online search, where his unmasked mother helped solidify his identification. | |||
|
Eric Gavelek Munchel
a.k.a.
Eric Munchel
Zip Tie Guy
|
Conspiracy 18 U.S.C. §371 (United States Code) |
Charged (Complaint) | Up to 5 years |
| Civil Disorders 18 U.S.C. §231(a)(3) (United States Code) |
Charged (Complaint) | Up to 5 years | |
| Knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority 18 U.S.C. §1752(a)(1) (United States Code) |
Charged (Complaint) | Up to 1 year | |
| Violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds 40 U.S.C. §5104(e)(2) (United States Code) |
Charged (Complaint) | Up to 6 months | |
|
Lisa Marie Eisenhart
a.k.a.
Lisa Eisenhart
|
Conspiracy 18 U.S.C. §371 (United States Code) |
Charged (Complaint) | Up to 5 years |
| Civil Disorders 18 U.S.C. §231(a)(3) (United States Code) |
Charged (Complaint) | Up to 5 years | |
| Knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority 18 U.S.C. §1752(a)(1) (United States Code) |
Charged (Complaint) | Up to 1 year | |
| Violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds 40 U.S.C. §5104(e)(2) (United States Code) |
Charged (Complaint) | Up to 6 months | |
| USA v Jensen, Douglas Austin (US District Court (DC) — 1:21-cr-00006-TJK) | |||
|
Awaiting Indictment |
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| Douglas Jensen allegedy partook in the failed coup at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021. He was apparently seen wearing a "Q" t-shirt and leading a large mob of people through the halls of the building. | |||
|
Douglas Austin Jensen
a.k.a.
Douglas Jensen
Suspected affiliations:
QAnon
|
Civil disorder 18 U.S.C. §231(a)(3) (United States Code) |
Indicted | Up to 5 years |
| Assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers or employees 18 U.S.C. §111(a)(1) (United States Code) |
Indicted | Up to 8 years | |
| Knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority 18 U.S.C. §1752(a)(1) (United States Code) |
Indicted | Up to 1 year | |
| Disrupting the orderly conduct of government business 18 U.S.C. §1752(a)(2) (United States Code) |
Indicted | Up to 1 year | |
| Violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds 40 U.S.C. §5104(e)(2)(A) (United States Code) |
Indicted | Up to 6 months | |
| Parading, demonstrating, or picketing on Capitol grounds 40 U.S.C. §5104(e)(2)(G) (United States Code) |
Indicted | Up to 6 months | |
| USA v Lang, Edward Jacob (US District Court (DC) — 1:21-mj-00061-GMH) | |||
|
Awaiting Indictment |
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| Edward Lang allegedly took part in the failed coup on January 6, 2021. He was seen in several videos allegedly hitting police officers with a riot shield and posted the images to his social media. One of his images included an arrow pointing to himself appearing to attack a police officer and labeled with the text, "this is me." | |||
|
Edward Jacob Lang
a.k.a.
Edward Lang
|
Assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers or employees 18 U.S.C. §111(b) (United States Code) |
Charged (Complaint) | Up to 20 years |
| Civil disorder 18 U.S.C. §231(a)(3) (United States Code) |
Charged (Complaint) | Up to 5 years | |
| Knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority 18 U.S.C. §1752(a), (b) (United States Code) |
Charged (Complaint) | Up to 1 year | |
| Violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds 40 U.S.C. §5104(e)(2) (United States Code) |
Charged (Complaint) | Up to 6 months | |
| USA v Ayres, Stephen Michael (US District Court (DC) — 1:21-mj-154-RMM) | |||
|
Awaiting Indictment |
|||
| Stephen Ayres is accused of participating in the failed coup on January 6, 2021. He allegedly posted videos of himself and his friends talking about storming the Capitol and was turned over to the FBI by a family member. | |||
|
Stephen Michael Ayres
a.k.a.
Stephen Ayres
|
Obstruction of justice/Congress 18 U.S.C. §1512(c)(2) (United States Code) |
Charged (Complaint) | Up to 20 years |
| Unlawful entry into restricted buildings or grounds 18 U.S.C. §1752(a) (United States Code) |
Charged (Complaint) | Up to 1 years | |
| Violent entry or disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds 18 U.S.C. §5104(e)(2) (United States Code) |
Charged (Complaint) | Up to 6 months | |
Document List
- Alberts Charging Complaint
- Ayres Charging Complaint
- Baranyi Charging Complaint
- Barnett Charging Complaint
- Barnett Amended Charging Complaint
- Black Charging Complaint
- Chansley Charging Complaint
- Chansley Indictment
- Ciarpelli Charging Complaint
- Coffman Charging Complaint
- Coffman Indictment
- Coffman Detention Order
- Colt Charging Complaint
- Council Charging Complaint
- Evans Charging Complaint
- Fitchett et al Charging Complaint
- Fracker et al Charging Complaint
- Johnson Charging Complaint
- Keller Charging Complaint
- Jensen Charging Complaint
- Jensen Indictment
- Lang Charging Complain
- Leffingwell Charging Complaint
- Leffingwell Indictment
- Loftus Charging Complaint
- Meredith Charging Complaint
- Meredith Detention Memorandum (first)
- Meredith Detention Memorandum (second)
- Munchel and Eisenhart Charging Complaint
All people on this list are presumed innocent until proven guilty in
a court of law. Arrests, charges, and indictments are not considered evidence of wrongdoing.
All defendants presented herein have a right to due process. The public also has a right to
learning the disposition of their cases.