Record at a Glance
- Category
- Jan 6th
- Age in NPR record
- 62
- Location
- Oriska, North Dakota
- Charges
- Civil Disorder; Assaulting, Resisting, or Impeding Certain Officers; Assaulting, Resisting, or Impeding Certain Officers Using a Dangerous Weapon; 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 guilty; Dismissed in part or full
Case Summary
Federal agents were tipped off on Rockne Earles’ alleged participation in the riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, when by two tips pointing them to Earles’ Facebook page, which contained information about how to attend the Stop the Steal rally. After tracing Earles via local law enforcement officials, they found a potential match between his driver’s license photo and surveillance video from inside the Capitol on the day of the riot. Earles can allegedly be seen in a black knit cap, chrome goggles, a black bandana around his neck, and a black leather jacket. Federal court documents also point to footage that appears to show Earles grabbing an officer and throwing him to the ground forcefully, where two other rioters join in beating him. The officer was later interviewed by the FBI and said he was assaulted many times during the riot, and as a result spent 45 days off of work to recover from his injuries, including a concussion. Federal prosecutors contend that footage shows Earles was inside the Capitol for almost a half an hour.
Case History
Earles pleaded Guilty to two charges: Assaulting, Resisting, or Impeding Certain Officers; Assaulting, Resisting, or Impeding Certain Officers Using a Dangerous Weapon. Sentencing set for 1/10/2025. On 1/22/2025, 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
Case summary, charges, procedural updates and image are drawn from the NPR Jan. 6 archive snapshot dated 2026-09-25 unless otherwise indicated.