Jerry Ryals

Case Summary

Jerry Ryals, an apprentice electrician from Oklahoma, traveled to Washington to attend the Trump rally with his boss, Anthony Alfred Griffith, and a friend, according to court documents. One witness provided authorities with a video Ryals allegedly sent in the days after the breach. It was shot from outside the building and, according to court documents, a male voice says, “We definitely have enough people to overthrow this bitch. They don’t stand a f***ing chance. We got the f***ing doors open up there I guess. We’re working our way in slowly but surely.” Ryals also allegedly posted photographs and videos of himself with the crowd inside, standing by a statue of George Washington wearing a Trump hat and a smile. When FBI agents interviewed Ryals at his home less than two weeks later, Ryals allegedly admitted that he, his boss, and another individual attended the rally and marched to the Capitol afterward. He told agents that he was pushed up through the doors and into the hallways inside the Capitol building by the crowd, according to court documents. He also allegedly admitted to going into one of the offices. He allegedly told agents he spent about an hour inside the building. A day after the storming of the Capitol, Ryals allegedly posted a photograph of himself just outside the Capitol building “Where we go one we go all,” the post began, citing one of the slogans associated with QAnon, a far-right conspiracy group. “We reclaimed our Capitol. … The media labeled us as ‘barbarians,’ yet every person I talked to today was a good hearted Christian, who all said they’ve never really gone to any rally, protest or anything like what we did.”

Case History

Ryals pleaded Guilty to Civil Disorder. Sentenced on 10/18/2022 to 9 months incarceration followed by 36 Months Supervised Release; a Special Assessment of $100; restitution of $2,000. Ryals 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.