Record at a Glance
- Category
- Jan 6th
- Age in NPR record
- 43
- Location
- Fresno, California
- Charges
- Civil Disorder; Obstruction of an Official Proceeding; 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
- Case status
- Pleaded not guilty; Convicted; Dismissed in part or full; Sentenced
- Presidential action
- Pardon
Case Summary
Benjamin Martin, a real estate agent from California, came to the attention of federal prosecutors after a tipster recognized Martin from footage of the riot at the U.S. Capitol, charging papers say. The tipster allegedly told investigators they knew Martin from high school and had seen his political posts and videos on Facebook, including videos saying he was going to Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6, 2021. Before the riot, according to court papers, Martin was part of a group chat on the encrypted messaging platform Telegram, where he discussed plans to go to Washington. He allegedly said in that group chat on Jan. 6, 2021, that “I just spoke to Peggy Hall she said we need to meet." Hall is a far-right activist from California who opposes vaccination and the use of masks to mitigate COVID-19, and who was in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021. Hall is not facing any criminal charges related to the Capitol riot. On Jan. 15, 2021, Martin gave an interview to FBI investigators, court documents say, and claimed that he was at the Capitol attempting to calm demonstrators who had gathered at the doors of the building. Subsequently, the FBI allegedly reviewed footage showing Martin inside the Capitol building as well as footage from the Capitol grounds, where Martin told law enforcement officers, "You guys are not doing your job. You swore an oath. You’re bound by your word. Move out of the way and let us in. Move out of the way and let us in.” At one point, officers allegedly deployed chemical spray toward Martin while protecting the building.
Case History
Martin pleaded Not Guilty to all charges. Found Guilty on all charges in a Jury trial on 6/26/2024. On 10/15/2024, the court dismissed the Obstruction charge. Sentenced on 12/20/2024 to 13 Months of incarceration; Supervised Release: 36 Months; Special Assessment: $170; Restitution: $2,000. Martin 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.