Record at a Glance
- Category
- Jan 6th
- Age in NPR record
- 66
- Location
- Springfield, Illinois
- Charges
- Obstruction of an Official Proceeding and Aiding and Abetting; Entering and Remaining in a Restricted Building or Grounds; Disorderly and Disruptive Conduct in a Restricted Building or Grounds; Disorderly Conduct in a Capitol Building; Parade, Demonstrate, Or Picket in the Capitol Grounds or Buildings
- Case status
- Pleaded not guilty
Case Summary
Federal prosecutors say that Roy Franklin was one of the rioters that made his way to the Senate floor on the day of the riot at the U.S. Capitol. Court documents indicate that Franklin traveled to Washington, D.C., with his friend Thomas Adams Jr., who was charged in April of 2021. The criminal complaint references an article from *Insider,* published the day after the riot, that says Franklin tripped while at the bottom of the Capitol steps and fell onto an officer who he says “barely reacted.” The article reported that Franklin followed a group of people who were climbing scaffolding and entering the building through a window that was smashed. Once inside, Franklin allegedly followed people onto the floor of the Senate and observed “a shirtless man with an animal skin headdress and his face painted red, white, and blue stood at the speaker's chair, wielding a bullhorn, and flexing his biceps” who was presumably Jacob Chansley, also known as the QAnon Shaman. Months after the riot, agents say they tracked Franklin down at his house, executed a search warrant and seized gear that they claim can be seen in images of that day and in particular the footage from the Senate floor: a Trump 2020 Keep America Great flag, a plaid patterned shirt, a pair of Nike shoes and a baseball cap emblazoned with “United States of America” and a flag in the center. During the execution of the search warrant, an FBI agent alleges that he overheard a conversation between Franklin and his significant other. In the conversation, Franklin allegedly admitted that he was in the Capitol building. He also allegedly said, “You had to be there, the whole thing was fun.”
Case History
Franklin pleaded Not Guilty to all charges. Due to his death on 10/15/2023, the case is terminated.
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.