Record at a Glance
- Category
- Jan 6th
- Age in NPR record
- 52
- Location
- Hayesville, North Carolina
- Charges
- Interstate Communication of Threats; Possession of Unregistered Firearms; Possession of Unregistered Ammunition; Possession of Large Capacity Ammunition Feeding Devices
- Case status
- Pleaded guilty; Dismissed in part or full; Sentenced
- Presidential action
- Pardon
Case Summary
Cleveland Meredith Jr. is facing criminal charges from both Washington, D.C., authorities and the federal government. Washington, D.C., police arrested Meredith for allegedly assaulting a man in a traffic-related incident in Washington on Jan. 7, 2021, the day after the rioting. In an interview with law enforcement from his room at a Holiday Inn in Washington, Meredith allegedly told FBI agents that he traveled to the area for the "Stop The Steal" rally, but arrived too late. While agents interviewed him, prosecutors say, they discovered that Meredith sent text messages about bringing a "sh** ton" of armor piercing ammunition with him, and said he considered "putting a bullet" in House Speaker Nancy's Pelosi's "noggin on Live TV." In another text, Meredith allegedly wrote, “I’m gonna run that C*** Pelosi over while she chews on her gums” and threatened Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser, writing, “I may wander over to the Mayor’s office and put a 5.56 in her skull." Agents then searched Meredith's trailer and allegedly found, "a Glock 19, nine millimeter pistol, a Tavor X95 assault rifle and approximately hundreds of rounds of ammunition." In addition to the allegation of assault, Meredith is now facing charges related to his alleged threats to public officials, as well as weapons charges. 11 Alive News in Atlanta reported that Meredith’s family had previously alerted his local police department, "because they were concerned about his behavior and ties to QAnon." According to court documents, Meredith texted someone on Jan. 7, "Calm before the STORM," which is a phrase commonly cited by QAnon adherents.
Case History
Meredith pleaded Guilty to one charge: Interstate Communication of Threats. The other charges were dismissed. Sentenced 12/14/2021 to 28 months in prison with credit for time served; 36 months of supervised release; $100 special assessment. Meredith 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.