Record at a Glance
- Category
- Jan 6th
- Age in NPR record
- 80
- Location
- West Chester, Pennsylvania
- Charges
- Entering and Remaining in a Restricted Building; Disorderly and Disruptive Conduct in a Restricted Building; Violent Entry and Disorderly Conduct in a Capitol Building; Parading, Demonstrating, or Picketing in a Capitol Building
- Case status
- Pleaded guilty; Dismissed in part or full; Sentenced
- Presidential action
- Pardon
Case Summary
A few days after the U.S. Capitol riot, a tipster contacted the FBI to say that Gary Wickersham had allegedly texted another person on Jan. 6, 2021, indicating he was inside the Capitol. A few days afterward, law enforcement interviewed Wickersham. In the interview, he admitted that he had taken a bus to Washington, D.C., with other Trump supporters for the rally and that he had entered the building, court documents say. He said that he saw people breaking windows and doors there and that he believes many of the rioters were part of antifa, a conspiracy theory for which there is no evidence. Wickersham said he believed he was allowed to enter the Capitol building because he pays taxes, court documents say. According to a sentencing memo filed by the defendant in court, Wickersham served in the U.S. Army and was honorably discharged in 1965.
Case History
Wickersham pleaded Guilty to one charge: Parading, Demonstrating, or Picketing in a Capitol Building. The other charges are dismissed. Sentenced 12/21/2021 to 36 months of Probation; 90 days location monitoring/home confinement; a $10 special assessment; $2,000 fine; and $500 in restitution. Wickersham 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.