Record at a Glance
- Category
- Jan 6th
- Age in NPR record
- 47
- Location
- Louisville, Kentucky
- Charges
- Conspiracy to Impede or Injure Officer; Conspiracy to Obstruct an Official Proceeding; 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
The FBI first identified Dan Edwin Wilson through the use of what the Bureau describes as "an open-source tool used to detect social media accounts." According to federal court records, Wilson was active in a Telegram message group named the "Coalition of the Unknown," which was active in the months leading up to Jan. 6, 2021. That group, according to the FBI, discussed the possibility of civil war, blowing up bridges in D.C., and which weapons to bring to the city that day. In those messages, Wilson allegedly wrote: "we have to get this government under control it’s been crossing my mind if we go to a Civil War do we try to take Washington DC first or do we try to take state capitals first." and "When tyranny becomes law resistance becomes duty and good men must do bad things." Federal agents identified Wilson in video footage from the grounds and from the inside of the U.S. Capitol, court documents indicate, and they also obtained cell phone records which appear to show Wilson as having been inside the building that day. In an interview with federal agents, Wilson denied entering the building. He told federal agents that he associates with militia groups in Kentucky, but said he is “not a legitimate member of any militia.” However, in the Telegram messages, Wilson implied that he is a member of a militia called the “Gray Ghost Militia," court records state. Despite his reported violent rhetoric, the FBI alleges that Wilson entered the building, walked around, and left about twelve minutes later.
Case History
Wilson pleaded Guilty to one charge: Conspiracy to Impede or Injure Officer. The other charges are dismissed. Sentenced on 8/28/2024 to 60 months incarceration; 36 months of supervised release; $2,000 in restitution; $100 special assessment. Wilson 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.