Record at a Glance
- Category
- Jan 6th
- Age in NPR record
- 28
- Location
- Fort Shawnee, Ohio
- Charges
- Civil Disorder (2 counts); Assaulting, Resisting, or Impeding Certain Officers Using a Dangerous Weapon; 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; Engaging in Physical Violence in a Restricted Building or Grounds; Disorderly Conduct in a Capitol Building; Act of Physical Violence in the Capitol Grounds or Buildings; Parading, Demonstrating, or Picketing in a Capitol Building
- Case status
- Pleaded not guilty; Convicted; Sentenced
- Presidential action
- Pardon
Case Summary
Jonathan Copeland was identified to the FBI in the days after the riot at the U.S. Capitol by a witness who said they'd seen him in footage of the day shot by CBS news, court documents indicate. A second witness months later also contacted law enforcement about him. The FBI interviewed Copeland, who said he'd traveled to Washington, D.C., that day with another person he'd met online and went to the rally early in the morning. Court documents indicate he left the speech early and walked with others to the Capitol, where he followed a group of people climbing the scaffolding and went through an open door into the building where he witnessed a standoff between police and rioters. While he was inside, Copeland said he received a phone call from the person he'd traveled with that day, who told him, "Son, you know what you're doing is a crime," according to court records. After that, he said he retraced his steps and a police officer directed him to exit thorugh a window. An open source search of images from Jan. 6, 2021, by law enforcement appear to show Copeland in a variety of places during the day. Videos and photos allegedly show Copeland advancing past barricades, ignoring commands from law enforcement, and joining other rioters in pushing a large, metal "Trump" sign into a line of police. Copeland told law enforcement officers during the interview with them that he felt remorse for his actions, which is why he deleted his accounts and disposed of his cellphone.
Case History
Copeland pleaded Not Guilty to all charges. Found Guilty on all charges but one (Disorderly Conduct in a Capitol Building) in a Bench trial on 5/8/2024. Sentenced on 12/2/2024 to 71 months of incarceration; 3 years of supervised release; $2,000 restitution; $620 special assessment. Copeland 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.