Record at a Glance
- Category
- Jan 6th
- Age in NPR record
- 40
- Location
- Sandy Lake, Pennsylvania
- Charges
- Civil Disorder; Obstruction of an Official Proceeding; Destruction of Government Property; Entering and Remaining in a Restricted Building or Grounds with a Deadly or Dangerous Weapon; Disorderly and Disruptive Conduct in a Restricted Building or Grounds with a Deadly or Dangerous Weapon; Engaging in Physical Violence in a Restricted Building or Grounds with a Deadly or Dangerous Weapon; Disorderly Conduct in a Capitol Building; Act of Physical Violence in the Capitol Grounds or Buildings; Parading, Demonstrating, or Picketing in a Capitol Building
- Case status
- Pleaded not guilty; Convicted; Dismissed in part or full; Sentenced
Case Summary
In the days after the Capitol riot, the woman later identified by authorities as Rachel Powell simply became known on the Internet as "bullhorn lady." In photographs and videos from Jan. 6, 2021, Powell is seen wearing a light pink hat and using a bullhorn to give "very detailed instructions about the layout of the Capitol building," court documents say. In one video, she allegedly urges others to "coordinate together" to take the building. The FBI also identified Powell in photos and videos using a large pipe, with the help of another person, to break a window leading into the Capitol. Powell eventually crawled through a breached window to go inside the building, court documents indicate. According to The New Yorker, Powell is a mother of eight who sells cheese at her local farmers market in western Pennsylvania. “Listen, if somebody doesn’t help and direct people, then do more people die?” she told the magazine about the accusations against her. “That’s all I’m going to say about that. I can’t say anymore. I need to talk to an attorney.”
Case History
Powell pleaded Not Guilty to all charges. Found Guilty on 7/18/2023 on all counts in a Bench trial. Sentenced on 10/17/2023 to 57 months incarceration; 36 months supervised release; restitution of $2,753; a fine of $5,000; special assessment of $555. On 10/28/2024, the USCA vacated the Obstruction conviction. Resentencing commenced and continued to 1/24/2025. On 1/21/2025, the court grants the government’s motion to dismiss the case with prejudice
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.