Record at a Glance
- Category
- Jan 6th
- Location
- Pennsylvania
- 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 guilty; Dismissed in part or full; Sentenced
- Presidential action
- Pardon
Case Summary
Diana Santos-Smith allegedly climbed through a broken window and got inside the U.S. Capitol building on Jan. 6, 2021. In an interview with federal investigators, Santos-Smith said she did not physically enter the Capitol building but then reversed herself when agents showed her video the FBI received through a tip. In that same interview, Santos-Smith said she and another rioter went to the Capitol to protest and did not have plans to storm the Capitol. In charging documents, Santos-Smith said when they arrived at the Capitol, she heard people say "they're letting us in" and interpreted that to mean protesters were being allowed to enter the Capitol. When they saw others in the crowd entering the Capitol through a broken widow, they followed despite knowing they shouldn't have been there.
Case History
Santos-Smith pleaded Guilty to one charge: Parading, Demonstrating, and Picketing in a Capitol Building. The other charges are dismissed. Sentenced 7/21/2022 to 20 days incarceration, 3 years probation; 100 hours community service; $500 restitution; $10 special assessment. Santos-Smith 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.