Record at a Glance
- Category
- Jan 6th
- Age in NPR record
- 66
- Location
- Lewistown, Pennsylvania
- Charges
- Entering and Remaining in a Restricted Building; Disorderly and Disruptive Conduct in a Restricted Building; Violent Entry and 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
FBI investigators discovered Paul Spigelmyer's alleged role in the Capitol rioting through his posts and messages on Facebook. Spigelmyer allegedly sent a photo from inside the Capitol to a Facebook friend, along with the message "the moment we stormed the doors." In a series of Facebook posts cited by federal prosecutors, Spigelmyer said, "What happened at the capital [sic] yesterday should and must continue till this election fraud is stopped," and, “The capital [sic] building needs to be burnt down it doesn’t belong to the people that work there." Spigelmyer, prosecutors say, can be seen in surveillance footage from inside the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
Case History
Spigelmyer pleaded Guilty to one charge: Parading, Demonstrating, or Picketing in a Capitol Building. The other charges are dismissed. Sentenced 10/28/2022 to 24 months of probation; first 45 days of the probationary period will be spent on home detention; 60 hours community service; $500 restitution; $10 special assessment. Spigelmyer 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.