Record at a Glance
- Category
- Jan 6th
- Location
- West Virginia
- Charges
- Entering and Remaining in a Restricted Building or Grounds; Disorderly and Disruptive Conduct in a Restricted Building or Grounds; Disorderly Conduct on Capitol Grounds; Parading, Demonstrating, or Picketing in a Capitol Building
- Case status
- Pleaded guilty; Dismissed in part or full; Sentenced
- Presidential action
- Pardon
Case Summary
Federal prosecutors identified David Bates as one of the rioters who breached the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, based on his "distinctive beard," court documents state. After obtaining a search warrant, investigators obtained a video of the outside of the Capitol, in which Bates can allegedly be heard saying "storm the doors" and "our f****** Capitol." According to court documents, Bates was seen gathering and marching with members of the far-right extremist group the Proud Boys prior to the riot on Jan. 6. Bates was arrested on Dec. 13, 2023.
Case History
Bates pleaded Guilty to two charges: Disorderly Conduct on Capitol Grounds; Parading, Demonstrating, or Picketing in a Capitol Building. The other charges are dismissed. Sentenced on 10/31/2024 to 36 Months of Probation with the first 4 months on location monitoring; Special Assessment: $20; Restitution: $500; 30 hours of community service. Bates 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.