Record at a Glance
- Category
- Jan 6th
- Age in NPR record
- 33
- Location
- Mount Dora, Florida
- Charges
- Civil Disorder; Entering and Remaining in a Restricted Building or Grounds with a Deadly or Dangerous Weapon; Disorderly and Disruptive Conduct in a Restricted Building or Grounds with a Deadly or Dangerous Weapon; Engaging in Physical Violence in a Restricted Building or Grounds with a Deadly or Dangerous Weapon; Impeding Passage Through the Capitol Grounds or Buildings
- Case status
- Pleaded guilty; Dismissed in part or full; Sentenced
- Presidential action
- Pardon
Case Summary
Federal prosecutors allege that Brian Preller is a “self-described” member of a Florida-based militia group known as the “B Squad” - an apparent reference to an “alternate plan” in the case that former President Donald Trump could not remain in power. The “B Squad,” court documents state, adheres to the anti-government pro-militia ideology of the Three Percenters. In December 2020, members of the “B Squad” allegedly distributed a message about the upcoming protest on Jan. 6, 2021 stating that a Three Percenter group was “responding to the call from President Donald J. Trump to assist in the security, protection, and support of the people as we all protest the fraudulent election and re-establish liberty for our nation.” A leader of the “B Squad,” identified in court documents only as “B Leader,” then coordinated travel and booked a block of rooms at a hotel in Washington, D.C, and encouraged group members to bring “defensive tools” including knives, a taser, pepper spray, and a metal baton. On Jan. 6, 2021, Preller allegedly wore a blue shirt with the words “WATERBOARDING INSTRUCTOR,” goggles, a helmet, and a “green tactical vest with a chemical spray irritant attached to the front.” Prosecutors say that Preller and other members of the “B Squad” confronted police guarding the tunnel on the west side of the U.S. Capitol and joined with the mob as they pushed police in a “heave-ho” effort to try to force their way into the building. Police then allegedly repelled Preller and others, and Preller picked up a police shield belonging to the U.S. Capitol Police. Later that year, Preller told a female acquaintance that he was getting a divorce, and added, “that tends to happen when the FBI shows up at your door,” court documents state. Other messages from Preller described in court documents referred to the pro-Trump conspiracy theory known as QAnon, and stated “continuing to build my 3% army so I can overthrow the federal government."
Case History
Preller pleaded Guilty to one charge: Civil Disorder. The other charges are dismissed. Sentenced on 9/13/2023 to 60 months of probation; 8 months of location monitoring; 40 hours of community service; $100 special assessment; $2,000 restitution. Preller 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.