Ethan Nordean

Case Summary

Ethan Nordean, also known as Rufio Panman, is a member of the Proud Boys, according to court records. Nordean is the “sergeant of arms” of the Seattle chapter of the organization. Pictures and videos show Nordean was allegedly "among those who entered the Capitol building after rioters forced entry and pushed past officers,” according to court records. Social media posts by Nordean show that prior to Jan. 6, 2021, he and other Proud Boys members were planning to organize a group that would attempt “to overwhelm police barricades” and enter the Capitol building. On Jan. 8, 2021, according to court records, Nordean posted on Parler: "if you feel bad for the police, you are part of the problem.” The picture accompanying the post was of a police officer using pepper spray on a rioter.

Case History

Nordean pleaded Not Guilty to all charges. Jury selection began 12/19/2022. On 5/4/2023, the Jury found Nordean Guilty on six charges: Seditious Conspiracy; Conspiracy to Obstruct an Official Proceeding; Obstruction of an Official Proceeding and Aiding and Abetting; Conspiracy to Prevent an Officer from Discharging any Duties; Civil Disorder; Destruction of Government Property (fence). Not Guilty on one charge: Assaulting, Resisting, or Impeding Certain Officers. No verdict on two charges: Destruction of Gov’t Property (window); Assaulting, Resisting, or Impeding Certain Officers. Sentenced on 9/1/2023 to 18 years incarceration; 36 months supervised release; $600 special assessment. A proclamation commutes the sentence to time served as of 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.