Record at a Glance
- Category
- Jan 6th
- Age in NPR record
- 31
- Location
- Bucyrus, Ohio
- Charges
- Obstruction of an Official Proceeding; 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
According to an FBI agent, a week after the storming of the U.S. Capitol, two cooperating witnesses said Ethan Seitz took part in the attack. The agent viewed statements made on Seitz's Facebook account in which he said he entered the Capitol building. The Facebook account also includes statements and a photo believed to be of Seitz in a Washington, D.C., hotel room. More posts included photos and videos of Seitz’s progress into the Capitol as he passed police barricades and made his way into the building. Seitz appears to describe his activities during and after the attack, including "I did storm the f***** capitol and climb in through a window. Got gassed and pepper sprayed. Flash bombs thrown at me. And f***** rubber bullets shot at me." In addition to the Facebook posts, the FBI agent viewed a video posted to YouTube by a former radio host in which it appears Seitz is interviewed later in the evening on Jan. 6, 2021. In the interview, he gives his name, says he was in the group that pushed through a door locked by the "cops" to let rioters through another entrance. He says he was there because of "election integrity" and because he believes former President Donald Trump won the 2020 election. There are multiple security cameras from inside the Capitol that appear to show Seitz inside the Capitol during the attack.
Case History
Seitz pleaded Not Guilty to all charges. Found Guilty of Obstruction of an Official Proceeding and Disorderly and Disruptive Conduct in a Restricted Building or Grounds in a Stipulated Bench trial on 8/8/2023. The government moves to vacate the Obstruction charge and the court grants the motion. The conviction on Count One is vacated. Sentenced on 9/13/2024 to 3 years of probation; 60 days of Home Detention; $25 special assessment; $500 restitution. Seitz 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.