Record at a Glance
- Category
- Jan 6th
- Age in NPR record
- 43
- Location
- Syracuse, New York
- Charges
- Civil Disorder; Assaulting, Resisting, or Impeding Certain Officers; Destruction of Government Property; Entering and Remaining in a Restricted Building or Grounds; Disorderly Conduct 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
- Case status
- Pleaded not guilty; Dismissed in part or full
Case Summary
Aaron Sauer was a member of a New York chapter of the far-right extremist group the Proud Boys, federal prosecutors allege, and marched with other members of the group towards the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Sauer allegedly deployed pepper spray against police officers guarding the building, destroyed a portion of fencing surrounding the Capitol and moved bike racks placed to prevent people from advancing to the building. Later that day, according to court documents, Sauer sent a text message stating, "We took the capitol," and the next morning, he wrote, "We were the front line for storming the cap. Fought through five police blockades." Federal investigators say they confirmed Sauer's role in the insurrection by comparing his purchase history on Amazon and eBay with the items he allegedly wore during the attack, including cut-resistant gloves, an American flag gaiter and a portable water reservoir made by the company CamelBak. Less than two weeks after the Capitol riot, authorities executed a search warrant at Sauer's residence and allege that they found business cards for the Proud Boys, body armor and a pepper spray canister. Sauer was arrested on Feb. 9, 2024.
Case History
Sauer pleaded Not Guilty to all charges. Jury Trial set for 5/5/2025. On 1/21/2025, the court grants the government’s motion to dismiss the case with prejudice.
Sources
- Primary Documentation
NPR Jan. 6 Defendant DatabaseNPR - Primary Documentation
Underlying court recordCourt record linked by NPR
Case summary, charges, procedural updates and image are drawn from the NPR Jan. 6 archive snapshot dated 2026-09-25 unless otherwise indicated.