Record at a Glance
- Category
- Jan 6th
- Age in NPR record
- 54
- Location
- Bremerton, Washington
- Charges
- 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 not guilty; Convicted; Sentenced
- Presidential action
- Pardon
Case Summary
David Rhine came to the attention of the FBI just days after the riot at the U.S. Capitol, and court documents point to two tipsters who said they knew that he had been in the Capitol during the riot. The FBI identified him from information provided by the tipsters, and a review of records obtained by search warrant indicate that a cellphone number Rhine subscribed to was associated with location data in and around the Capitol on Jan 6, 2021. The first tipster allegedly saw a screenshot of a post by Rhine's wife. That post stated that Rhine had been at the rally that day and entered the Capitol, and went on to say she was proud of her husband's actions, according to charging documents. When the tipster texted both Rhine and his wife to encourage him to share information he had, presumably with law enfrorcement, Rhine allegedly replied "I witenessd ZERO violence. I saw no 'proud boys'. Capitol police removed barriers and let people in." Later the tipster identified an image from inside the Capitol building as David Rhine, and more images of that day indicate that the man identified as Rhine was detained by an officer who searched him and found two knives and pepper spray, court documents state. Rhine appears to have been escorted down to the Rotunda, where he left the building. According to a sentencing memo filed in court by the defendant, Rhine served in the U.S. Navy for several years.
Case History
Rhine pleaded Not Guilty to all charges. Found Guilty on 4/24/2023 of all charges. Sentenced on 9/11/2023 to 4 Months of Incarceration; 1 year of supervised release; Special Assessment of $70; Fine of $7,376; 60 hours of community service. Rhine 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.