87 Jan. 6 Defendants From VA Pardoned In Trump’s First Official Act

VIRGINIA — In the first in a blizzard of executive actions after arriving at the White House Monday, newly inaugurated President Donald Trump pardoned more than 1,500 people charged in connection with the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, including 87 from Virginia.

Trump also commuted the sentences of another 14 people, including leaders of the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys. These were charged with some of the most serious and high-profile cases.

The decision amounted to a sweeping cloak of impunity for Trump supporters who upended the country’s tradition of peaceful transfers of power by trying to overturn his election defeat four years ago. Trump described them as “hostages” and said he expected them to be freed shortly.

Among the Virginia people convicted were the following from Northern Virginia:

Brian Leo Kelly, Fairfax Station

Pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct in a Capitol building or grounds; parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building. Other charges were dismissed. Sentenced on Jan. 17 to 10 days of incarceration with 24 months of probation and fines.

Michael Gareth Adams, Springfield

Pleaded guilty to parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building. Other charges were dismissed. Sentenced on Sept. 22, 2023 to 60 days of incarceration with fines.

Zachary Jordan Alam, Centreville

Pleaded not guilty to all charges. Dismissed assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers using a dangerous weapon. Obstruction of an official proceeding and aiding and abetting charge was dismissed at sentencing. Found guilty of all other charges on Sept. 12, 2023: assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers; civil disorder; destruction of government property; entering and remaining in a restricted building with a deadly or dangerous weapon; disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building with a deadly or dangerous weapon; engaging in physical violence in a restricted building with a deadly or dangerous weapon; disorderly conduct in a Capitol building; act of physical violence in the Capitol building; parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building. Sentenced on Nov. 7, 2024 to 96 months of incarceration and 36 months supervised release with fines.

Daniel Bibonge Amsini, Arlington

Pleaded guilty to theft of government property. Sentenced on May 24, 2024 to 45 days of incarceration and 12 months of supervised release with fines.

Luke Wessley Bender, Fairfax Station

Pleaded guilty to all charges but found guilty of all charges in a stipulated bench trial on Dec. 7, 2022. Charges were obstruction of an official proceeding; entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds; disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds; entering and remaining on the floor of Congress; disorderly conduct in a Capitol building; parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building. Sentenced on April 20, 2023 to 21 months of incarceration and 36 months of supervised release with fines. The obstruction conviction was vacated on Sept. 9, 2024 and resentenced to time served and 12 months of supervised release with fines.

Joseph Brody, Springfield

Pleaded guilty to civil disorder; and assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers. Sentenced on July 19, 2024 to 18 months of incarceration and three months of supervised release with fines and 50 hours of community service.

Jessica Louise Bustle, Bristow

Pleaded guilty to parading, demonstrating or picketing in Capitol buildings. Other charges were dismissed. Sentenced to 24 months of probation, including 60 days of home confinement and 40 hours of community service and fines.

Joshua Kahle Bustle, Bristow

Pleaded guilty to parading, demonstrating or picketing in Capitol buildings. Other charges were dismissed. Sentenced to 24 months of probation, including 30 days of home confinement and 40 hours of community service and fines.

Raymond Earl Chambers II, Ashburn

Pleaded not guilty to all charges and found guilty of all charges by a jury. Charges were entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds; disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds; disorderly conduct in a Capitol building or grounds; parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building. Sentenced on June 24, 2024 to seven monthsof incarceration and one year of supervised release with fines.

Robert William DeGregoris, Aldie

Pleaded guilty to all charges and found guilty of all charges on Oct. 4, 2024. Charges were civil disorder; entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds; disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds; impeding passage through the Capitol grounds or building. Sentencing had been set for Feb. 7, 2025.

Fi Duong, Alexandria

Pleaded guilty to civil disorder. Sentenced on Nov, 5, 2024 to 36 months of probation, fines and 50 hours of community service.

Iraj George Javid, Bristow

Pleaded guilty to parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building. Other charges were dismissed. Sentenced on Feb. 3, 2022 to 24 months of probation with 90 days of home detention and fines.

Micaiah Joseph, Triangle

Pleaded not guilty to all charges and found guilty by a jury of all charges on June 10, 2024. Sentenced on Nov. 12, 2024 to 37 months of incarceration and 36 months of supervised release with fines.

Ralph Kahler, Great Falls

Pleaded guilty to parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building. Sentenced on Feb. 2, 2024 to 12 months of probation with 30 days of location monitoring, fines and 40 hours of community service.

Suzanne Kahler, Great Falls

Pleaded guilty to parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building. Sentenced on Feb. 2, 2024 to 12 months of probation with 30 days of location monitoring, fines and 40 hours of community service.

Daphne Kasperek, Sterling

Pleaded guilty to disorderly or disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds. Sentencing had been scheduled for Feb. 7, 2025.

Thomas Kasperek, Sterling

Pleaded guilty to disorderly or disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds. Sentencing had been scheduled for Feb. 7, 2025.

Douglas F. Macrae, Arlington

Pleaded guilty to parading, demonstrating or picketing in any of the Capitol buildings. Other charges were dismissed. Sentenced on Oct. 21, 2022 to 12 month of probation, fines and 50 hours of community service.

Ryan Joseph Orlando, Arlington

Pleaded guilty to entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds. Sentencing had been set for Feb. 14, 2025.

Dennis Sidorski, Ashburn

Pleaded guilty to disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building. Other charges were dismissed. Sentenced on June 28, 2022 to 100 days of incarceration, 12 months of supervised release and 50 hours of community service with fines.

Weston Sobotka, Ashburn

Pleaded guilty to parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building. Other charges were dismissed. Sentenced on April 18, 2023 to 36 months of probation and 15 days of incarceration on one weekend per month with fines and 50 hours of community service.

Hatchet M. Speed, Vienna

Pleaded not guilty to all charges and found guilty. Charges were obstruction of an official proceeding and aiding and abetting; entering and remaining in a restricted building, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building; disorderly and disruptive conduct in a Capitol building; parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building. Sentenced on May 8, 2023 to 48 months of incarceration and 36 months of supervised release with fines.

Stacey Lynn Stephens, Broad Run

Pleaded guilty to parading, demonstrating or picketing in any of the Capitol buildings. Other charges were dismissed. Sentenced on Oct. 31, 2023 to 14 days of incarceration and fines.

Christopher Warnagiris, Woodbridge

Pleaded not guilty to all charges, and awaiting verdict. An evidentiary hearing was set for Jan. 15, 2025. Charges were civil disorder; obstructing of an official proceeding; assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers; entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds; disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building; engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds; disorderly conduct in a Capitol building; act of physical violence in the Capitol grounds or building; parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building.

See the full list of Virginia residents charged in the Jan. 6 riot here.

Those pardoned included former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio, who was sentenced to 22 years in prison — the longest term of imprisonment among all of those charged with the Jan. 6 attack — on a conviction of seditious conspiracy.

Stewart Rhodes, the former leader of the Oath Keepers militia, who had received the second-longest sentence — 18 years — on his seditious conspiracy conviction was released from a Cumberland, Maryland, federal prison early Tuesday morning.

Trump also ordered the attorney general to seek the dismissal of roughly 450 cases that are pending before judges stemming from the largest investigation in Justice Department history.

Northern Virginia residents that had pending cases are:

David A. Marshall, Jr., Alexandria

Charged with civil disorder; assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers; assault within the maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States; entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds; disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds; engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds; disorderly conduct in a Capitol building; act of physical violence in the Capitol grounds or buildings; parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building.

Anatoliy Anatolievich Lutsik, Sterling

Pleaded not guilty to civil disorder; assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers; entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds; disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds; engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds; disorderly conduct in a Capitol building; act of physical violence in the Capitol grounds or buildings; parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building.

Henos Woldemichael, Burke

Charged with civil disorder; entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds; disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds; disorderly conduct in a Capitol building; parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building.

Trump has claimed they were unfairly treated by the Justice Department, which also charged him with federal crimes in two cases he contends were politically motivated. Trump said the pardons will end “a grave national injustice that has been perpetrated upon the American people over the last four years” and begin “a process of national reconciliation.”

The pardons were met with elation from Trump supporters and lawyers for the Jan. 6 defendants. Trump supporters gathered late Monday in the cold outside the Washington jail, where more than a dozen defendants were being held before the pardons.

“We are deeply thankful for President Trump for his actions today,” said James Lee Bright, an attorney who represented Rhodes.

“This marks a pivotal moment in our client’s life, and it symbolizes a turning point for our nation,” Tarrio attorney Nayib Hassan said in a statement. “We are optimistic for the future, as we now turn the page on this chapter, embracing new possibilities and opportunities.”

Democrats slammed the move to extend the pardons to violent rioters, many of whose crimes were captured on camera and broadcast on live TV.

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called it “an outrageous insult to our justice system and the heroes who suffered physical scars and emotional trauma as they protected the Capitol, the Congress and the Constitution.”

“Donald Trump is ushering in a Golden Age for people that break the law and attempt to overthrow the government," Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said in an emailed statement.

Former Metropolitan Police Officer Michael Fanone, who lost consciousness and suffered a heart attack after a rioter shocked him with a stun gun, appeared taken aback to learn from an Associated Press reporter that those who assaulted police officers are among the pardon recipients.

“This is what the American people voted for,” he said. “How do you react to something like that?”

Fanone said he has spent the past four years worried about his safety and the well-being of his family. Pardoning his assailants only compounds his fears, he said.

“I think they’re cowards,” he said. “Their strength was in their numbers and the mob mentality. And as individuals, they are who they are.”

The Associated Press contributed reporting.