Record at a Glance
- Category
- Jan 6th
- Age in NPR record
- 20
- Location
- Brunswick, Ohio
- Charges
- Entering and Remaining in a Restricted Building or Grounds; Disorderly and Disruptive Conduct in a Restricted Building or Grounds; Disorderly Conduct on Capitol Grounds; Parading, Demonstrating, or Picketing in a Capitol Building
- Case status
- Pleaded guilty; Dismissed in part or full; Sentenced
- Presidential action
- Pardon
Case Summary
A confidential source who did not know Justin Michael Smith sent screenshots from surveillance footage, social media videos and Smith's Facebook to the Cleveland FBI, court records indicate. FBI agents used these videos and screenshots to identify surveillance footage of Smith allegedly entering the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. That footage allegedly shows Smith inside the building, wearing a dark hoodie and carrying a flag with the words "Trump 2020 The Sequel, Make The Liberals Cry Again" printed on it. The FBI also says Google records show a device associated with an account in Smith's name appearing in and around the Capitol for more than an hour that day. Smith was arrested on May 4, 2022, in Cleveland.
Case History
Smith pleaded Guilty to one charge: Parading, Demonstrating, or Picketing in a Capitol Building. The other charges are dismissed. Sentenced on 7/14/2023 to 36 Months Probation; $10 Special Assessment; $500 Restitution; 80 hours of community service. On 8/27/2024, the court finds that he committed six probation violations; probation is revoked and he is sentenced to 120 days incarceration. Smith 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.