Record at a Glance
- Category
- Jan 6th
- Age in NPR record
- 37
- Location
- Pensacola, Florida
- 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 not guilty; Convicted; Sentenced
- Presidential action
- Pardon
Case Summary
Jesus Rivera uploaded a five-minute video to his Facebook account on Jan. 6, 2021, and did a few Facebook Live broadcasts showing him moving toward the Capitol surrounded by protesters, according to court documents. In one of the videos, the documents say, Rivera told viewers exactly what he intended to do: “Hey guys, if you are on here, share this live because I am about to take my a** to the middle of the… capitol and see what’s going on, where they are trying to jump in.” Numerous media accounts say Rivera was a vocal Trump supporter and, among other things, started a page called Chicano Patriot on Facebook and was photographed with a “Latinos for Trump” hat. He even turned his Trump support into a business, something he called “We the People 1776.” They traveled the country, press reports said, holding small Trump rallies. A military spokesperson confirmed to NPR that Rivera served in the Marine Corps from 2002 to 2012 and was deployed for six months during Operation Iraqi Freedom from 2004 to 2005.
Case History
Rivera pleaded Not Guilty to all charges. Bench trial held June 14 and 15, 2022. Rivera was found guilty on all charges. Sentenced 11/3/2022 to 8 months incarceration; one year of supervised release; $500 restitution; $70 special assessment. Rivera 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.