Record at a Glance
- Category
- Jan 6th
- Age in NPR record
- 28
- Location
- State College, Pennsylvania
- Charges
- Robbery (baton, fence, shield from 3 different MPD officers); Assaulting, Resisting, or Impeding Certain Officers and Aiding and Abetting; Obstruction of an Official Proceeding and Aiding and Abetting; Civil Disorder; 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
- Case status
- Convicted; Dismissed in part or full; Sentenced
- Presidential action
- Pardon
Case Summary
After the FBI posted an image seeking information about him, Robert Morss was identified by at least four witnesses. Morss is allegedly seen in photos and videos from Jan. 6, 2021, wearing camouflage, a tactical vest and a "Make America Great Again" hat. In a crowd trying to push past law enforcement in the Lower West Terrace area of the U.S. Capitol grounds, Morss can be seen on police body camera footage trying to take a police baton away from an officer and later grabbing a fence held by officers and ripping it away, according to court documents. He can allegedly be heard saying to officers: "You guys are betraying us. You get paid enough to betray your people?” and “[T]ake a look around, back up, we are going to take our Capitol back.” In a YouTube video from a tunnel leading into the Capitol, he is seen pushing into and taking a riot shield away from an officer and sending it back into the crowd, where he directs them to form a "shield wall," according to court documents. Rioters then yelled, "Heave ho," as they pushed in unison against the officers guarding the doors, court documents indicate. Morss eventually left the tunnel and could later be seen climbing through a broken window into the Capitol, court documents say. According to court documents, Morss is a combat veteran. He was honorably discharged from the U.S. Army after serving three tours of duty in Afghanistan.
Case History
At a stipulated bench trial on 8/23/2022, Morss was found Guilty of Robbery; Assaulting, Resisting, or Impeding Certain Officers; and Obstruction of an Official Proceeding. He admitted to a stipulated set of facts. The other charges are dismissed. Sentenced on 5/24/2023 to 66 Months of Incarceration; 24 Months of Supervised Release; Special Assessment of $300; Restitution of $2,000. Morss 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.