Record at a Glance
- Category
- Jan 6th
- Age in NPR record
- 54
- Location
- Dillsburg, Pennsylvania
- Charges
- Entering and Remaining in a Restricted Building or Grounds; Disorderly and Disruptive Conduct in a Restricted Building or Grounds; Disorderly Conduct in a Capitol Building or Grounds; Parading, Demonstrating, or Picketing in a Capitol Building
- Case status
- Pleaded not guilty; Convicted; Sentenced
- Presidential action
- Pardon
Case Summary
A tipster who met Lynnwood Nester at a small gathering in December of 2020 told the FBI they’d spotted Nester in since-deleted Facebook videos filmed during the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol. The tipster “specifically remembered Nester due to some concerning comments Nester made at the event,” according to an FBI statement of facts. Surveillance footage shows Nester and several other alleged members of the Pennsylvania-based political group “Free PA” walking through the Capitol over a span of about 10 minutes, according to the FBI. Free PA’s website describes the group as “Pennsylvania Patriots volunteering together to restore and protect our rights and freedoms by using ACTION, ACTION, ACTION!” Nester was arrested May 20, 2022, in Dillsburg, Pa.
Case History
Nester pleaded Not Guilty to all charges. Found Guilty on all charges in a Jury trial on 3/7/2024. Sentenced on 7/19/2024 to 10 months incarceration; 6 months of Supervised Release; $70 Special Assessment; $500 restitution; $500 fine. Nester 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 - 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.