Record at a Glance
- Category
- Jan 6th
- Age in NPR record
- 27
- Location
- Pearland, Texas
- Charges
- 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 guilty; Dismissed in part or full; Sentenced
- Presidential action
- Pardon
Case Summary
According to court documents, Benjamin Larocca was identified after a video from his Instagram account was submitted to the FBI tip line. The video allegedly shows Larocca filming a crowd of rioters pushing toward a line of law enforcement officers inside the Capitol as the rioters chant, “Forward!” Later in the video, Larocca appears to flip the camera to himself and chants, “Our house!” in response to other rioters chanting, “Whose house?” On Jan. 20, 2021, in a voluntary interview with law enforcement, Larocca admitted to entering the Capitol building with his friend Christian Cortez, who has also been charged. He added that at the time they entered the building, law enforcement was not present at the door, according to court documents. He also provided the FBI with a thumb drive that contained videos and pictures of his trip to Washington, D.C.
Case History
Larocca pleaded Guilty to one charge, amended on 8/10/2022: Disorderly and Disruptive Conduct in a Restricted Building or Grounds. The other charges are dismissed. Sentenced 8/10/2022 to 60 days of incarceration; 12 months of Supervised Release; Special assessment of $25; fine of $2,000; Restitution of $500; 60 hours of community service. Larocca 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.