Record at a Glance
- Category
- Jan 6th
- Age in NPR record
- 45
- Location
- Menifee, California
- Charges
- Conspiracy to Obstruct an Official Proceeding; Obstruction of an Official Proceeding and Aiding and Abetting; Entering and Remaining in a Restricted Building and Grounds; Disorderly and Disruptive Conduct in a Restricted Building or Grounds; Tampering with Documents or Proceedings
- Case status
- Pleaded not guilty; Convicted; Sentenced
- Presidential action
- Pardon
Case Summary
Prosecutors say that Erik Scott Warner started a group text message with three others -- Derek Kinnison, Felipe Antonio Martinez and Ronald Mele -- to arrange travel from California to Washington, D.C., for a pro-Trump rally planned on Jan. 6, 2021. Later, according to a criminal indictment, he and more than 30 others used the encrypted messaging app Telegram to participate in a channel called the California Patriots-DC Brigade, which was started by a leader of a group called the American Phoenix Project. That channel was then allegedly used to plan and coordinate logistics, including the use of protective gear, radios and weapons, for the events of Jan. 6, 2021. In a photo posted to the channel, Warner can allegedly be seen flashing the hand signal of the extremist anti-government militia known as the Three Percenters. Kinnison also allegedly texted Martinez, Mele and Warner about bringing a shotgun and ammunition to Washington. At 2:13 p.m. on Jan. 6, 2021, Warner allegedly breached the Capitol building by entering through a broken window.
Case History
Warner pleaded Not Guilty to all charges. Found Guilty in a Jury trial on 11/7/2023 on all charges. Sentenced on 4/19/2024 to 27 months incarceration; 36 month term of supervised release; restitution in the amount of $2,000; special assessment of $350. Warner 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.