Record at a Glance
- Category
- Jan 6th
- Age in NPR record
- 36
- Location
- Columbus, Ohio
- Charges
- Obstruction of an Official Proceeding and Aiding and Abetting; Theft of Government Property; 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
Dustin Thompson and Robert Lyon, who is also facing charges related to the Capitol riot, drove to Washington, D.C., together for the pro-Trump rally, according to court documents. Earlier in the day, Thompson had sent a photo and a video to Lyon, according to court documents. In the photo, he is posing outside the Capitol with a coat rack that was later confirmed to be from inside the Capitol. In the video, he appears to be in a "ransacked office" and yells "Wooooo! 'Merica Hey! This is our house!" Later that evening, two U.S. Capitol Police officers came across Thompson and Lyon sitting on a sidewalk near the Capitol and asked them to leave. When Thompson tried to leave with the coat rack, the officers asked him to put it down. He did, but then fled and was able to get away, according to court records. Thompson and Lyon drove back to Ohio the next day.
Case History
Thompson pleaded Not Guilty to all charges. Found Guilty by Jury Trial on 4/14/2022 of all charges. Sentenced 11/18/2022 to 36 months incarceration; 36 months of supervised release; $2,000 in restitution; $2,000 fine; $195 special assessment. Thompson 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 - Supporting Reporting
NPR video evidence pageNPR
Case summary, charges, procedural updates and image are drawn from the NPR Jan. 6 archive snapshot dated 2026-09-25 unless otherwise indicated.