Just Who Are Trump’s January 6th Heroes?
A look at some of the ‘unbelievable patriots’ whom the GOP standard-bearer has praised and promised to free.
DURING A RECENT CAMPAIGN APPEARANCE in Ohio, Donald Trump paid tribute to an extraordinary group of Americans: the rioters who at his behest laid siege to the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. He stood on the stage and saluted as the PA system played a rendition of the national anthem performed by the J6 Prison Choir, a group of people incarcerated for their actions that day. The recording is interspersed with clips of Trump reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.
“Well, thank you very much, and you see the spirit from the hostages—and that’s what they are, is hostages,” Trump told the gathering. “They’ve been treated terribly, and very unfairly.” He called them—not the 140 law enforcement officers who reportedly sustained injuries defending the Capitol on January 6th—“unbelievable patriots.” This was in the same March 16 talk in which Trump stated that, if he doesn’t win the election this fall, “it’s going to be a bloodbath for the country.”
It wasn’t the first time that the former and perhaps future president has praised the rioters (who he’s also dubbed “political prisoners”), and there are doubtless many more tributes to come. These are, in his view, singularly honorable and heroic individuals—people who, when push came to shove, found that they could both push and shove, as well as batter and assail. One of his first acts as a newly inaugurated president, Trump has pledged, will be to “Free the January 6 Hostages being wrongfully imprisoned!” He’s indicated that he plans to pardon all but “a couple of them” who may have gotten “out of control.”
That will be a whole lot of pardons. The U.S. Justice Department, in a recent press release, says that in the 38 months since the Capitol assault, “more than 1,358 individuals” have been charged with crimes related to this attack, including “more than 486” for the felony of assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The count continues to grow.
Who are these “unbelievable patriots” Trump is vowing to put back on the streets? Here is a small sampling of people who have thus far been not only charged and convicted, but sentenced for January 6th–related crimes. The ages are from the time of sentencing. Details are (mostly) from Justice Department accounts. A searchable database is available if you’d like to have a look; use the search bar to find arrest, conviction, and sentencing press releases for individual defendants.
Jeffrey Sabol, 53, of Kittredge, Colorado
Having breached the Capitol grounds equipped with a “helmet, trauma kit, buck knife, and zip ties,” Sabol was part of the mob that pushed against police lines until breaking through. He tried to pry away a baton and helmet visor from an officer; he and another rioter knocked an officer to the ground, whereupon Sabol yanked away his baton with so much force that “the officer’s torso was lifted off the ground.” He dragged another officer down the steps and into the mob, where the officer was beaten with a flagpole and a baton. Afterward, Sabol tried to destroy evidence of his role in the melee, going so far as to microwave multiple computers and toss his phone in a body of water. He also attempted to escape arrest by flying to Switzerland. (He was not permitted to board the flight.) Found guilty in a bench trial of three felonies and sentenced just last week (on March 21) to 63 months in prison and 36 months of supervised release, and ordered to pay $32,166 in restitution.
Michael Mackrell, 42, of Wellington, Ohio
Clifford Mackrell, 23, of Wellington, Ohio
This father-and-son team violently engaged with officers outside the Capitol. Michael Mackrell “wrapped his arm around the neck of a U.S. Capitol Police officer and threw the officer to the ground,” according to the Justice Department. He then pushed or tackled four other officers. Clifford Mackrell, meanwhile, “assaulted multiple law enforcement officers, including by striking and pushing officers, violently pulling at an officer’s gas mask.” He grabbed at one officer’s face and eyes, causing the officer to scream in agony. In separate sentencing hearings in March, both Mackrells got 27 months in prison, followed by 12 months (Michael) and 36 months (Clifford) of supervised release. Each also owes $2,000 in restitution.
Michael Joseph Foy, 32, of Wixom, Michigan
As he made his way into a Capitol tunnel with other mob rioters, Foy “picked up a sharp metal pole and threw it over the head of rioters into the body of a police officer . . . then used the hockey stick that he was carrying to attack police.” He struck officers with the stick at least eleven times, swinging away at their faces, heads, and necks “as if he were chopping wood with an ax.” He then entered the Capitol through a shattered window, urging other rioters to do the same. Convicted of two felonies in a bench trial before U.S. District Judge Tanya S. Chutkan; sentenced last month (on February 28) to 40 months in prison and 24 months of supervised release.
Riley Kasper, 25, of Pulaski, Wisconsin
After breaching the Capitol grounds, Kasper sprayed bear spray at law enforcement officers and then boasted about it on social media, saying “I pepper-sprayed 3 cops so bad they got undressed and went home,” adding “we fucking took over Congress.” He also wrote about wielding a baton while screaming in the face of a fallen officer, of whom he said, “I’m pretty sure dude thought he was gonna die that day lol.” In a conversation recorded in jail, Kasper beamed that a photo of him wielding a can of bear spray against officers made him look “like a fucking badass.” He pleaded guilty and was sentenced last month (on February 26) to 37 months in prison and 24 months of supervised release and to pay $2,000 in restitution.
Kenneth Bonawitz, 58, of Pompano Beach, Florida
Carrying an eight-inch hunting knife in a sheath on his belt, Bonawitz mounted and then leapt off of the stage that had been built for Joe Biden’s inauguration, tackling two Capitol Police officers. The officers managed to confiscate his knife, but Bonawitz got away. He proceeded to assault at least four more officers, putting one in a chokehold and lifting him off the ground. A member of the Proud Boys extremist group, Bonawitz left after being sprayed with a chemical agent. He then gave a media interview in which he complained about how rough the cops were with him and another interview in which he identified himself by name and home state. Bonawitz was sentenced on January 17 to 60 months in prison, and 36 months of supervised release.
William Chrestman, 51, of Olathe, Kansas
Another Proud Boys member, Chrestman came to the Capitol on January 6th equipped with a tactical vest, gas mask, and wooden ax handle. As the crowd breached a line of barriers on the Capitol grounds, he waved others forward while shouting, “Go! Go! Go!” At one point, he gestured toward officers, pointed to his ax handle, and threatened, “Hey, if you shoot, I’ll fucking take your ass out.” He entered the Capitol, where he used the handle to pry open a door. He later gloated that “The cops were legitimately scared for their fucking lives.” Chrestman pleaded guilty to two felonies, including threatening a federal officer; sentenced on January 12 to 55 months in prison and 36 months of supervised release. He is a member of the J6 Prison Choir.
Jonathan G. Mellis, 35, of Williamsburg, Virginia
This genius posted videos to Instagram of himself storming the Capitol and yelling “We ain’t fucking leaving!” Mellis exhorted a fellow rioter, Justin Jersey (see below), to attack police and “knock their masks off,” prompting Jersey to charge the officers. Mellis then used the wooden stick Jersey had given him to stab “at the faces and heads of officers at least five times, violently striking” them. In a video afterward, he indignantly insisted “it was Trumpers,” not Antifa or Black Lives Matter, who deserved credit for the day’s events. Mellis pleaded guilty to one felony count and was sentenced last December 20 to 51 months in prison and 36 months of supervised release; he was also ordered to pay $20,000 in fines. He is a member of the J6 Prison Choir.
Shane Jenkins, 45, of Houston, Texas
After using a tomahawk ax to smash a Capitol window, Jenkins cajoled his fellow rioters, “We’re going in that fucking building one way or another.” On entering, he and others armed disassembled some furniture they found and armed themselves with the pieces, which they later used to attack police. Jenkins shouted “Push!” as the mob surged forward. He secured a stolen riot shield and “hurled nine different objects at the officers, including a solid wooden desk drawer.” He left after being repeatedly pepper-sprayed. He then called the police “trash” in a post on social media and messaged a compatriot to say, “I have murder in my heart and head.” Found guilty by a jury of seven felonies, including assaulting law enforcement with a deadly or dangerous weapon, Jenkins was sentenced last October to 84 months in prison and 36 months of supervised release and to pay $5,176 in restitution. He became a member of the J6 Prison Choir.
Shane Jason Woods, 45, of Auburn, Illinois
Woods did his part on January 6th by ramming his body into an officer who was chasing a rioter who had just sprayed him in the face with a chemical irritant. Later in the day, he gathered with other rioters just outside the media staging area, “verbally harassing the reporters, camera operators, and technicians gathered there.” Woods got a running start and charged into a camera operator, knocking the person to the ground. He pleaded guilty to two felonies and was sentenced last October to 54 months in prison and 36 months of supervised release.
Michael Steven Perkins, 40, of Plant City, Florida
Perkins and a co-defendant tried to push their way through a police line on the Capitol grounds. When police arrived to come to the aid of another officer, Perkins “picked up a flagpole and thrust it into the chest of an approaching officer,” then swung the flagpole down, “striking two officers in the back of their heads.” He was convicted of five offenses, including assaulting a federal officer with a deadly or dangerous weapon, and sentenced last August to 48 months in prison and 36 months of supervised release.
Audrey Ann Southard-Rumsey, 54, of Spring Hill, Florida
Prior to heading to the Capitol, Southard-Rumsey posted to social media such sentiments as “HANG the TRAITORS!!!” and “go to their work and home pull them out by their teeth and hang them for treason!” After entering the Capitol, she used a flagpole to push down a police sergeant, causing him to strike the back of his head on the base of a marble statue. She then stood at the door to the House Chamber and yelled, “We’re coming for you!” She was found guilty of seven felony charges, including three counts of assaulting officers, and sentenced last July to 72 months in prison and 36 months of supervision. She was also ordered to pay “restitution of $2,000 to the Architect of the Capitol.”
Kyle Fitzsimons, 39, of Lebanon, Maine
After entering the Capitol grounds, Fitzsimons “hurled an unstrung bow like a spear” at law enforcement officers, hitting one of them. He then “made forcible contact” with a police detective as another rioter sprayed a chemical agent into the detective’s face, causing him “to temporarily suffocate.” He then attacked a police sergeant who came to another officer’s aid, “causing permanent injuries to the sergeant’s shoulder that necessitated surgery and ultimately ended the sergeant’s lengthy law enforcement career.” He then charged at a group of officers, “wildly swinging his fists,” before exiting the grounds while exhorting others to “get in there” and fight. He was convicted of seven felony charges and sentenced on last July to 87 months in prison, 36 months of supervised release, and $2,000 in restitution.
Daniel Joseph “DJ” Rodriguez, 40, of Fontana, California
This member of PATRIOTS45MAGA Gang, a Telegram group that geared up for the Capitol attack by writing what the Justice Department said were “hundreds of messages about war and revolution, about traitors and tyrants,” discharged a fire extinguisher and shoved a long wooden pole at officers outside the Capitol. Seeing a fellow rioter dragging a D.C. police officer into the melee, Rodriguez approached and used an electroshock weapon to deliver jolts to the officer’s neck. The officer’s name is Michael Fanone, who later became a prominent advocate for officers brutalized in the attack. Rodrigueze was sentenced on last June to 151 months in prison and 36 months of supervised release. He is also on the hook for $2,000 in restitution to the Architect of the Capitol and almost $100,000 in further damages to the Metropolitan Police Department.
Nicholas Brockoff, 22, of Covington, Kentucky
After throwing an object toward law enforcement on the Capitol grounds, Brockoff “discharged the contents of fire extinguishers on multiple occasions.” He somehow “obtained” a police officer’s helmet, which he wore “like a trophy” throughout the day, including when he entered a Senate conference room through a broken window. He helped kick in a door leading into another conference room, where he “tore open a box and went through papers in the office.” He pleaded guilty to assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers with a dangerous weapon and sentenced on last May to 36 months in prison and 36 months supervised release and to pay $2,700 in restitution.
Donald Hazard, 44, of Hurst, Texas
Hazard came to the festivities in Washington, D.C., wearing protective gear and armed with knuckle gloves and pepper spray. While marching toward the Capitol, he told a newspaper photographer taking video, “Make sure you get my face and everything on your news channel. I want the enemy to know exactly who is coming after them.” As he stormed up the steps to the building, he clashed with a Capitol Police officer, who fell down the steps, hit his head, and was knocked unconscious. After entering the Capitol, pepper spray in hand, Hazard posed for selfie videos in which he said “We’re taking the Capitol” and “This is America, baby.” He pleaded guilty to assaulting an officer, and last May was sentenced to 57 months in prison and 36 months of supervised release, and to pay $2,000 in restitution.
Josiah Kenyon, 35, of Winnemucca, Nevada
Decked out in a “Jack Skellington” costume (based on a character from The Nightmare Before Christmas), Kenyon used a flagpole and closed fist to try, along with others, to shatter a Capitol window, causing more than $40,000 in damage. Kenyon later assaulted officers in the tunnel leading into the Capitol with objects including a table leg, hitting one officer in the leg, causing him to fall and hurt his ankle, and another in the head, “with the table leg momentarily lodged between that officer’s helmet and face shield.” He pleaded guilty to two felonies and was sentenced on last April to 72 months in prison and 36 months of supervised release, and ordered to pay $43,315 in restitution.
Justin Jersey, 32, of Flint, Michigan
Part of a mob that confronted law enforcement officers in an archway leading into the Capitol, Jersey wielded a “large, gnarled stick,” which he handed to another rioter, Jonathan G. Mellis (see above), before springing at the officers at Mellis’s urging. He knocked one officer to the ground and began kicking him, causing “serious physical injuries,” including a head laceration and body bruises and abrasions, before grabbing a baton that he used to strike other officers. Jersey reportedly kept “trophies” from his crimes, including a police badge and helmet. He pleaded guilty to assaulting an officer and inflicting bodily harm and in February 2023 was sentenced to 51 months in prison and 36 months of supervised release and ordered to pay more than $32,000.
Julian Elie Khater, 33, of Somerset, New Jersey (left)
George Pierre Tanios, 41, of Morgantown, West Virginia
These two men, said to be longtime friends, traveled to Washington, D.C. with two canisters of bear spray and two canisters of pepper spray that Tanios had purchased for the occasion. As rioters attempted to pull away a bike-rack barrier that separated them from police, Khater sprayed three officers in the face with pepper spray, incapacitating them. One of these officers was Brian Sicknick, who died the next day. Khater pleaded guilty to two felony counts and in January 2023 was sentenced to 80 months in prison, 36 months of supervised release. Tanios got off with time served. Both men were required to pay restitution and a fine. Neither was charged for Sicknick’s death. Khater became a member of the J6 Prison choir.
Mark Andrew Mazza, 57, of Shelbyville, Indiana (left)
Mazza came to the Capitol carrying two guns, a Taurus revolver full of shotgun shells and hollow-point rounds and a .40 semiautomatic pistol that was also loaded; sometime during the afternoon, he lost the revolver somewhere on the Capitol grounds. He held open doors to allow other rioters “to attack officers with flag poles, batons, sticks and stolen law enforcement shields,” as they sought to force their way in. At one point, he grabbed a baton from an officer’s hand and used it to strike at officers. He yelled: “This is our fucking house! We own this house!” Mazza pleaded guilty to assaulting law enforcement officers with a dangerous weapon and in October 2022 was sentenced to 60 months in prison and three years of supervised release, and to pay more than $2,000 in restitution.
Thomas Webster, 54, of White Plains, New York
A retired New York Police Department officer, Webster illegally entered the Capitol grounds wearing a bulletproof vest and carrying a large metal flagpole bearing the U.S. Marine Corps flag. He accosted an officer behind the metal gates, saying “take your shit off,” an apparent invitation to fight, then “aggressively shoved the metal gate into the officer’s body” while swinging the flagpole at him. When the officer pried the flagpole away, Webster broke through the barricade, tackled the officer, and “tried to remove his helmet and gas mask, choking him” and causing multiple injuries. Found guilty of assaulting a law enforcement officer with a deadly or dangerous weapon and other charges, he was sentenced in September 2022 to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and to pay more than $2,000 in restitution.
Note: The stated sentences for the above heroes and patriots, along with hundreds of others, are subject to change. They could all be coming home to communities across the country as soon as January 20, 2025.
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