Record at a Glance
- Category
- Jan 6th
- Age in NPR record
- 52
- Location
- Inverness, Illinois
- 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
Bradley Rukstales traveled to Washington, D.C. to attend the rally. On his Twitter page, Rukstales wrote an apology: “In a moment of extremely poor judgment following the Jan. 6, 2021, rally in Washington, I followed hundreds of others through an open set of doors to the Capitol building to see what was taking place inside. I was arrested for the first time in my life and charged with unlawful entry. ... My decision to enter the Capitol was wrong, and I am deeply regretful to have done so.” Rukstales was the president and CEO of Cogensia, a marketing firm in Schaumburg, Ill. On Jan. 8, 2021, his company posted the following statement: “Cogensia President and CEO Brad Rukstales has been terminated by the company's Board of Directors effective immediately.” He is also a Republican donor, having contributed to various candidates including former Sen. Kelly Loeffler and former President Donald Trump, as well as the Republican National Committee.
Case History
Rukstales pleaded Guilty to one charge: Parading, Demonstrating, or Picketing in a Capitol Building. The other charges were dismissed. Sentenced 11/12/2021 to 30 days incarceration; Special Assessment of $10; and $500 restitution. Rukstales 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.