Record at a Glance
- Category
- Jan 6th
- Age in NPR record
- 23
- Location
- Commerce Township, Michigan
- Charges
- Parading, Demonstrating, or Picketing in a Capitol Building
- Case status
- Pleaded guilty; Sentenced
- Presidential action
- Pardon
Case Summary
A fellow Marine stationed at Camp Lejeune with Sgt. Dodge Dale Hellonen identified him in surveillance footage taken inside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, according to an FBI statement of facts. The FBI claims Hellonen carried a yellow “Don’t Tread on Me” flag as he entered the Capitol with two other active-duty Marines, Cpl. Micah Coomer and Sgt. Joshua Abate, who have also been charged. They remained in the building for almost an hour, snapping photos and talking on cellphones, court documents indicate. At one point, the FBI claims, they placed Coomer’s red “Make America Great Again” cap on a statue in the Rotunda and posed for photos with it. Hellonen was arrested on Jan. 18, 2023, in Jacksonville, N.C.
Case History
Hellonen pleaded Guilty to the charge. Sentenced on 9/11/2023 to 4 years probation; 279 hours of community service; $10 special assessment; $500 restitution. Hellonen 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.