Richard Franklin Barnard III

Case Summary

In an interview with the FBI, Jeffery Witcher said he was present at the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot with his friend Richard Franklin Barnard III, whom he met while serving in the U.S. Marine Corps. According to the court documents, photos and videos recovered from Witcher’s phone place both men inside the Capitol building that day. In one of the photos, Barnard is wearing a USMC hat. During an interview with the FBI, Barnard admitted to entering the Capitol building with his friend for approximately 20 minutes. Barnard claimed that when the crowd began to push against the police officers in the building, he and some other individuals shielded the officers with their bodies while the crowd moved past. He said he left the building right after that incident. Barnard stated he deleted the videos and photos on his phone when his wife informed him that people had died during the riot. According to a sentencing memo filed in court, Barnard served in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve.

Case History

Barnard pleaded Guilty to one count of: Parading, Demonstrating, or Picketing in a Capitol Building. The remaining charges were dismissed. Sentenced 2/4/2022 to 12 months of Probation and 1 month of home confinement on electronic monitoring; Special Assessment: $10; Restitution $500; 60 hours of community service. Barnard 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.