Julio Cesar Chang

Case Summary

An anonymous tipster contacted the FBI and said Julio Cesar Chang had posted photos from the Jan. 6, 2021, riot on Facebook, according to a statement of facts filed in federal court. Chang allegedly posted photos of himself wearing a pro-Trump hat by the U.S. Capitol, along with the caption: "The deplorables have taken back our country." In another post cited in court documents, Chang captioned a video from near the Washington Monument, "The beginning of our Second American Revolution." Prosecutors allege that celphone records and surveillance footage show that Chang breached the Capitol building during the riot and made it inside the Rotunda. Chang previously worked for the Broward County Sheriff's Office in Florida, the court documents state, and one of his former co-workers provided information to the FBI during its investigation into Chang. The Broward County Sheriff's Office confirmed to NPR that Chang worked there from 1991 to 2005 and said he retired at the rank of lieutenant. A spokesperson for the U.S. Marine Corps also confirmed that Chang served on active duty for nearly two decades, reaching the rank of gunnery sergeant. In 2003, he deployed to Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Case History

Chang pleaded Guilty to one charge: Parading, Demonstrating, or Picketing in a Capitol Building. The other charges are dismissed. Sentenced on 10/6/2023 to 36 months of Probation; 45 days of home detention/location monitoring; $500 Restitution; and $10 Special Assessment. Chang 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.