Record at a Glance
- Category
- Jan 6th
- Age in NPR record
- 42
- Location
- Indio, 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 guilty; Dismissed in part or full; Sentenced
- Presidential action
- Pardon
Case Summary
Rafael Valadez Jr. is accused by federal law enforcement of livestreaming his participation in the U.S. Capitol riots on Jan. 6, 2021. The video, which the FBI alleges was taken by Valadez, allegedly shows him entering the U.S. Capitol. Further review of surveillance camera footage from inside the Capitol shows a man that the FBI identifies as Valadez, and video from Facebook obtained through a search warrant shows the videos that were apparently livestreamed, court documents indicate.
Case History
Valadez pleaded Guilty to one charge: Parading, Demonstrating, or Picketing in a Capitol Building. The other charges are dismissed. Sentenced on 10/14/2022 to 30 days of incarceration, $500 restitution, $10 special assessment. Valadez 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.