Record at a Glance
- Category
- Jan 6th
- Age in NPR record
- 51
- Location
- Temecula, California
- Charges
- Conspiracy to Obstruct an Official Proceeding; Obstruction of an Official Proceeding and Aiding and Abetting; Entering and Remaining in a Restricted Building and Grounds; Disorderly and Disruptive Conduct in a Restricted Building or Grounds
- Case status
- Pleaded not guilty; Convicted; Sentenced
- Presidential action
- Pardon
Case Summary
On Dec. 24, 2020, Ronald Mele posted on Facebook that he was planning to travel to Washington, D.C., “to support our President on the 6th and days to follow just in case,” according to federal court records. Prosecutors say Mele then participated in a group text message with three others -- Derek Kinnison, Felipe Antonio Martinez and Erik Scott Warner -- to arrange travel and logistics. Later, according to a criminal indictment, he and more than 30 others used the encrypted messaging app Telegram to join a channel called the California Patriots-DC Brigade, which was started by a leader of a group called the American Phoenix Project. That channel was then allegedly used to plan and coordinate logistics, including the use of protective gear, radios and weapons, for the events of Jan. 6, 2021. In one message, Kinnison allegedly said that Mele is a member of the extremist anti-government militia called the Three Percenters. Kinnison also allegedly texted Martinez, Mele and Warner about bringing a shotgun and ammunition to Washington. On Jan. 6, 2021, according to court records, Mele took a selfie video from the steps on the Upper West Terrace of the U.S. Capitol building and said, “We stormed the Capitol.”
Case History
Mele pleaded Not Guilty to all charges. Found Guilty in a Jury trial on 11/7/2023 on all charges. Sentenced on 4/19/2024 to 33 months incarceration; 36 month term of supervised release; restitution in the amount of $2,000; special assessment of $250. Mele 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.