Richard J. Escalera

Case Summary

Richard Escalera, of Destin, Fla., vomited on the floor of the Capitol rotunda, according to court documents. Prosecutors say Escalera can be seen in surveillance and body-worn camera footage entering the Capitol through the Upper West Terrace door, being in the Rotunda, and exiting through the rotunda doors. Court documents show he wore a black jacket and jeans, a camouflage hat with the words “Lions Not Sheep,” and a black backpack - the jacket, hat, and backpack were recovered in a search of Escalera’s home, along with his cellphone and a camcorder. The FBI says the camcorder included footage from the “Stop the Steal” rally and from a police barricade outside the Capitol. They say the cellphone included texts about the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, including one that read, “loved every minute of it dude. Here’s a before and after storming the Capitol today.” Investigators say they first found Escalera based on a search warrant to Google and records from Microsoft. Court documents also show the FBI interviewed Escalera and he admitted to traveling to DC and attending the “Stop the Steal” rally, but did not answer whether he went inside the Capitol or not. Escalera was arrested in October of 2022.

Case History

Escalera pleaded Guilty to one charge: Parading, Demonstrating, or Picketing in a Capitol Building. The other charges are dismissed. Sentenced on 8/3/2023 to 7 days incarceration; 24 months probation; 60 hours of community service; $10 special assessment. Escalera 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.