Record at a Glance
- Category
- Jan 6th
- Age in NPR record
- 58
- Location
- Eagle, Nebraska
- Charges
- Entering and Remaining in a Restricted Building or Grounds; Disorderly and Disruptive Conduct in a Restricted Building or Grounds; Disorderly Conduct on Capital Grounds; Parading, Demonstrating, or Picketing in Capitol Building
- Case status
- Pleaded guilty; Dismissed in part or full; Sentenced
- Presidential action
- Pardon
Case Summary
In an interview with the FBI on Dec. 14, 2021, Donald Pearston admitted to entering the U.S. Capitol twice on Jan. 6, 2021, both times being forced out by law enforcement, according to a court document. He allegedly talks about his time in the Capitol in an open source video uploaded to Facebook, saying: "We're not destroying anything inside ... I've been in one of the reps office, one dude was in there smoking a joint ... with his feet on the desk and that was ridiculous but yeah yeah. It was awesome." Pearston was arrested Sept. 20, 2023, in Omaha, Neb. According to sentencing memos filed in court, Pearston served in the U.S. Marine Corps.
Case History
Pearston pleaded Guilty to two charges: Disorderly Conduct on Capital Grounds; Parading, Demonstrating, or Picketing in Capitol Building. The other charges are dismissed. Sentenced on 4/25/2024 to 10 days incarceration; 9 months Probation; $1,000 Fine; Special Assessment of $20; Restitution in the amount of $500. Pearston 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.