Eric Cramer

Case Summary

“I guess that’s my trophy,” Eric Cramer replied on Twitter after his daughter posted a picture of a police baton on Jan. 6, 2021, also claiming he “took it from the cop that hit me with it,” according to an FBI statement of facts. Police body-worn camera footage shows Cramer “catching the baton, grasping it, and refusing to relinquish his grip,” according to the FBI statement. The video allegedly depicts Cramer wearing a gas mask and carrying a blue baseball bat in the crowd outside the U.S. Capitol. Two weeks after the riot, Cramer told officers he drove from West Virginia to Washington with his brother “to witness the election-related events.” Cramer also said the crowd of protesters pushed him inside the Capitol, according to the court documents, but he left “after an opportunity to exit the U.S. Capitol building presented itself” and then reunited with his brother near the Reflecting Pool. Seven months later, in August 2021, he told officers that his brother had, in fact, entered the Capitol as well. Surveillance footage shows the pair inside for a few minutes before exiting. He was arrested July 8, 2022, in Martinsburg, W.Va.

Case History

Cramer pleaded Guilty to one charge: Disorderly and Disruptive Conduct in a Restricted Building or Grounds. The other charges are dismissed. Sentenced on 2/23/2023 to 8 Months Imprisonment; 12 Months Supervised Release; $500 Restitution and $25 Special Assessment. Cramer 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.