Record at a Glance
- Category
- Jan 6th
- Age in NPR record
- 40
- Location
- Florida
- Charges
- Obstruction of an Official Proceeding and Aiding and Abetting; Entering and Remaining in a Restricted Building or Grounds with a Deadly or Dangerous Weapon; Disorderly and Disruptive Conduct in a Restricted Building or Grounds with a Deadly or Dangerous Weapon; Entering and Remaining on the Floor of Congress; Disorderly Conduct in a Capitol Building; Parading, Demonstrating, or Picketing in a Capitol Building
- Case status
- Pleaded not guilty; Convicted; Dismissed in part or full
Case Summary
The FBI first learned of John Joseph Richter when they reviewed cell phone records of another alleged rioter, Joseph Irwin, whose communication showed messages exchanged between the two men, court records indicate. According to court documents, the messages involved plans to travel to Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6, 2021, and also contained multiple videos and images of the two inside the U.S. Capitol. Throughout November and December of 2020, Richter and Irwin reportedly sent each other numerous messages claiming that the 2020 presidential election results were fraudulent. On Dec. 12, 2020, Richter posted a video on Twitter saying: “This isn’t one of those things where we’re going to say someone else is going to do something. We have to do it. It’s our job. See you in D.C.” On Sept. 14, 2022, agents interviewed Richter at his home, where he allegedly admitted to being inside the Capitol and discussed bringing supplies such as flagpoles, goggles, battery banks, and full-face respirators. Richter allegedly entered the building wielding a wooden flagpole with a pointed metal tip and was one of the last rioters to be escorted from the Senate floor. According to a sentencing memo filed by the defendant in court, Richter served in the U.S. Army.
Case History
Richter pleaded Not Guilty to all charges. Found Guilty in a Bench trial on 5/14/2024 on four charges and two lesser charges. The court vacated the Obstruction conviction on 11/22/2024. Sentencing reset for 1/22/2025. On 1/21/2025, the court grants the government’s motion to dismiss the case with prejudice.
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.