Record at a Glance
- Category
- Jan 6th
- Age in NPR record
- 39
- Location
- Bellmore, New York
- Charges
- Parading, Demonstrating, or Picketing in a Capitol Building
- Case status
- Pleaded guilty; Sentenced
- Presidential action
- Pardon
Case Summary
In the days following the riot, an old friend of Justin McAuliffe's sent photos of the certified public accountant inside the U.S. Capitol building to the FBI, according to court documents. The photos were allegedly taken from McAuliffe’s Facebook account, which was deleted after Jan. 6, 2021. The court documents also show screenshots of a Facebook message sent by McAuliffe. “Yeah, I was in one of the offices,” the Bellmore, N.Y., resident allegedly admitted. “Some people were smoking a joint in the room.” A tip also led the FBI to a Telegram account associated with McAuliffe's cellphone number. Prosecutors claim the display picture associated with McAuliffe’s account showed him sitting in an office at the Capitol.
Case History
McAuliffe pleaded Guilty to the single charge. Sentenced 1/28/2022 to 3 years probation; 60 days home detention/location monitoring; $500 restitution; $10 special assessment. McAuliffe 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.