Record at a Glance
- Category
- Jan 6th
- Age in NPR record
- 49
- Location
- Naples, Florida
- Charges
- Obstruction of an Official Proceeding and Aiding and Abetting; 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 Using a Deadly or Dangerous Weapon; Act of Physical Violence in the Capitol Grounds or Buildings; Civil Disorder; Assaulting, Resisting, or Impeding Certain Officers Using a Dangerous Weapon
- Case status
- Pleaded not guilty; Convicted; Sentenced
- Presidential action
- Pardon
Case Summary
An FBI tipster alleges Facebook videos show Christopher Worrell is a member of the Proud Boys who traveled to Washington for the Jan. 6, 2021, riot with his girlfriend, according to a criminal complaint. Worrell became “extremely agitated” when the FBI visited his home in Naples, Fla., on Jan. 18, 2021, and he denied entering the U.S. Capitol building or committing any crimes. “The Proud Boys were not a racist white supremacist group like the media tries to portray,” Worrell told FBI agents, according to the complaint. Worrell’s girlfriend told the FBI they carpooled to Washington with other Proud Boys, and that the large group used radio communication devices to stay in contact as they marched down Constitution Avenue to the Capitol, according to court documents. The criminal complaint includes multiple photos depicting Worrell sporting Proud Boys logos, including on his tactical vest; flashing the “OK” hand gesture now connected with white supremacy; and unleashing a stream of pepper spray gel off-camera. “The likely intended target of Worrell’s pepper spray assault was the line of law enforcement officers present in these photographs,” the criminal complaint alleges. Worrell’s attorney told CNN his client went to Washington and marched to the Capitol because he was inspired by former President Donald Trump's "invitation" to do so. In 2009, Worrell was charged with impersonating a police officer after deputies accused him of flashing a gold badge at a young woman to pull her over. Worrell had a loaded handgun, handcuffs, knives, and boxes of ammunition in his car at the time, according to a 2009 news release from the Collier County Sheriff’s Office in Florida. Court records show Worrell pleaded no contest and was sentenced to three years' probation and two years of community control for the incident in May 2010. Community control is a stricter form of probation in Florida that can require an individual to remain under supervision at home or within the community. According to a sentencing memo filed in court, Worrell served for a short time in the U.S. Air Force.
Case History
Worrell pleaded Not Guilty to all charges. Bench trial began 4/27/2023. On 5/12/2023, he was found Guilty on all charges. Sentenced on 1/4/2024 to 120 months incarceration; 36 months of supervised release; restitution in the amount of $2,000; special assessment of $610. Worrell 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.