Record at a Glance
- Category
- Jan 6th
- Age in NPR record
- 32
- Location
- Lubbock, Texas
- Charges
- Obstruction of an Official Proceeding; Entering or Remaining in a Restricted Building or Grounds; Disorderly and Disruptive Conduct in a Restricted Building or Grounds
- Case status
- Pleaded not guilty; Convicted; Dismissed in part or full; Sentenced
- Presidential action
- Pardon
Case Summary
On Jan. 6, 2021, Ryan Zink posted at least three videos to his Facebook page, according to prosecutors. In one, he turns the camera on himself and says, "We knocked down the gates! We're storming the Capitol! You can't stop us!" He adds, "We're about to bum-rush this s***!" In a later post, he said he "broke down the doors" and "pushed Congress out of session." The next day, he posted on Facebook: "I went and fought for what I believe in. ... History was made and I'm a part of it." On Jan. 8, 2021, he wrote in a private Facebook message, "I'm afraid the time for rioting is over better clean those guns and invest in some level 4 armor," according to court documents. Zink is a musician and the owner of Pressure Clean Oil, Gas and Wind in Lubbock, Texas, according to court documents. Local news reports also say he is a student at Texas Tech University. Zink is the son of Jeff Zink, who is running for Congress in Arizona's 7th District. Jeff Zink was also near the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 but maintains that he did not go inside, according to The Arizona Republic.
Case History
Zink pleaded Not Guilty to all charges. Found Guilty in a Jury trial on all charges. The court dismisses the Obstruction conviction on 8/9/2024. Sentenced on 9/20/2024 to 3 months incarceration; 12 months supervised release; $50 special assessment; $500 restitution; 50 hours of community service. Zink 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.