Record at a Glance
- Category
- Jan 6th
- Age in NPR record
- 59
- Location
- Schwenksville, Pennsylvania
- Charges
- 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 or Grounds; Parading, Demonstrating, or Picketing in a Capitol Building
- Case status
- Pleaded guilty; Dismissed in part or full; Sentenced
- Presidential action
- Pardon
Case Summary
James Robinson told FBI agents his martial arts instincts to help people kicked in on Jan. 6, 2021, when he heard screams and cries for help near the U.S. Capitol. According to an FBI statement of facts, Robinson caught a ride with friends from the Philadelphia area that morning “to listen to speeches,” but he got separated from them and was then “sucked into a large group of people who were trying to gain access into the Capitol.” Surveillance footage shows Robinson carrying a velvet rope around the Capitol Rotunda for several minutes “enthusiastically pumping his fists into the air while appearing to yell out,” according to the FBI statement. He was arrested on Aug. 5, 2022, in Fort Washington, Pa.
Case History
Robinson pleaded Guilty to one charge: Parading, Demonstrating, or Picketing in a Capitol Building. The other charges are dismissed. Sentenced on 5/9/2023 to 6 months of incarceration; $1,000 fine; $500 restitution; $10 special assessment. Robinson 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.