Record at a Glance
- Category
- Jan 6th
- Age in NPR record
- 36
- Location
- Columbia, Maryland
- Charges
- Entering and Remaining in a Restricted Building; Disorderly and Disruptive Conduct in a Restricted Building; Violent Entry and Disorderly Conduct in a Capitol Building; Parading, Demonstrating, or Picketing in a Capitol Building
- Case status
- Pleaded guilty; Dismissed in part or full; Sentenced
- Presidential action
- Pardon
Case Summary
On Jan. 6, 2021, Andrew Bennett posted four videos to Facebook from outside and inside the Capitol building, according to court documents. He is seen in the videos wearing a baseball hat with a motto on it associated with the Proud Boys, a far-right extremist group. In one video, he appears to yell "no destruction," but in another video, he allegedly chants "break it down" with the crowd, in reference to the door to the Speaker's Lobby, where U.S. Capitol Police later shot Ashli Babbitt, court documents indicate. Before the insurrection, Bennett "posted and shared conspiracy theorist material" on Facebook, according to the FBI. Court documents state that the FBI investigated Bennett's ties to the Proud Boys. "The FBI found that while Bennett attempted to contact a Maryland chapter of the Proud Boys about becoming a member," the documents state, "it did not find that Bennett is a member of or associate of any organized chapter of the Proud Boys."
Case History
Bennett pleaded Guilty to one charge: Parading, Demonstrating, or Picketing in a Capitol Building. The other charges were dismissed. Sentenced 10/1/2021 to 24 months Probation; 80 hours of community service; Special Assessment in the amount of $10; and $500 restitution. Bennett 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
Case summary, charges, procedural updates and image are drawn from the NPR Jan. 6 archive snapshot dated 2026-09-25 unless otherwise indicated.