Record at a Glance
- Category
- Jan 6th
- Age in NPR record
- 56
- Location
- San Clemente, California
- Charges
- Conspiracy to Obstruct an Official Proceeding; Obstruction of an Official Proceeding and Aiding and Abetting; Entering and Remaining in a Restricted Building and Grounds with a Deadly or Dangerous Weapon; Disorderly and Disruptive Conduct in a Restricted Building or Grounds with a Deadly or Dangerous Weapon
- Case status
- Pleaded not guilty; Convicted; Sentenced
- Presidential action
- Pardon
Case Summary
Alan Hostetter founded a group called the American Phoenix Project, whose mission was to oppose coronavirus-related lockdowns, according to federal court records. The Los Angeles Times reported that Hostetter is a former police chief in La Habra, Calif. In the 1980s, prior to his law enforcement career, Hostetter served in the U.S. Army and has said he was stationed in West Germany. After the election, Hostetter used his group to “advocate violence,” prosecutors allege in those records. In a November YouTube video, Hostetter supported then-President Donald Trump’s false claims the election had been stolen, and allegedly said, in response, that “tyrants and traitors need to be executed as an example.” At a “Stop the Steal” rally on Dec. 12, 2020, in Huntington Beach, Calif., Hostetter allegedly told a crowd that “execution is the just punishment for the ringleaders of this coup.” According to a criminal indictment of Hostetter and others, Hostetter helped coordinate plans for a pro-Trump rally on Jan. 6, 2021, with members of the extremist anti-government militia known as the Three Percenters. Prosecutors say those plans were developed on the encrypted messaging app Telegram and included discussions of bringing protective gear, weapons and the use of radios. At around 2:30 p.m. on Jan. 6, 2021, Hostetter, along with another defendant, Russell Taylor, joined rioters on the west side of the Capitol, “pushing through a line of law enforcement officers trying to hold them back,” court documents say.
Case History
Hostetter pleaded Not Guilty to all charges. Found Guilty on all charges in a Bench trial on 7/13/2023. Sentenced on 12/7/2023 to 135 months incarceration; 36 months supervised release; restitution of $2,000; a fine of $30,000; a special assessment of $400. Hostetter received a full pardon on January 20, 2025
Sources
- Primary Documentation
NPR Jan. 6 Defendant DatabaseNPR - Primary Documentation
Underlying court recordCourt record linked by NPR - Supporting Reporting
NPR video evidence pageNPR
Case summary, charges, procedural updates and image are drawn from the NPR Jan. 6 archive snapshot dated 2026-09-25 unless otherwise indicated.