Record at a Glance
- Category
- Jan 6th
- Age in NPR record
- 54
- Location
- Wisconsin
- 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 guilty; Dismissed in part or full; Sentenced
- Presidential action
- Pardon
Case Summary
Federal prosecutors allege that Paul Kovacik breached the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, through the Senate wing doors and filmed several YouTube videos over the course of the roughly 25 minutes that he remained in the building. According to the government's court filings, investigators obtained data from Google indicating that Kovacik's phone was inside the Capitol and Kovacik acknowledged breaching the building in a phone conversation with investigators. Prosecutors say they further confirmed Kovacik's presence in the building through surveillance camera footage and police body-worn camera footage. Kovacik was arrested on June 19, 2022.
Case History
Kovacik pleaded Guilty to one charge: Parading, Demonstrating, or Picketing in a Capitol Building. The other charges are dismissed. Sentenced on 6/21/2023 to 90 Days of incarceration; 3 Years of Probation; Special Assessment of $10; Restitution of $500. Failed to appear to serve sentence after fleeing the country; arrested 6/20/2024 in St. Paul, Minn. upon his return; charged with Failure to Appear on 7/26/2024. Pleaded Guilty to Failure to Appear. Sentenced on 12/10/2024 to 120 Days of Incarceration with credit for time served; 1 Year of Supervised Release; Special Assessment of $25. Kovacik 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.