Record at a Glance
- Category
- Jan 6th
- Age in NPR record
- 45
- Location
- California
- 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; Parading, Demonstrating, or Picketing in a Capitol Building
- Case status
- Pleaded not guilty; Dismissed in part or full
Case Summary
On Jan. 6, 2021, Matthew Thomas Purse wore a tactical vest and helmet emblazoned with the word “PRESS,” according to federal prosecutors, despite no known media employment history. Court documents show the FBI identified Purse by his “PRESS" attire, as well as a long black pole he carried that seemed to have a recording device at the end. Photos seem to show Purse entering the U.S. Capitol, standing in the rotunda and exiting after the “crowd became more volatile,” according to court documents. Federal prosecutors say a confidential source described a Twitch livestream in which Purse said, “Mission accomplished — we broke into the Capitol” and admitted he wasn’t a member of the press. The FBI says that it located a privately owned mail facility where Purse rents a mailbox and that an employee there was able to identify photos of Purse in his “PRESS” helmet.
Case History
Purse pleaded Not Guilty to all charges. Jury Trial set for 4/14/2025. On 1/22/2025, the court ordered that the case is dismissed without prejudice.
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.