Record at a Glance
- Category
- Jan 6th
- Age in NPR record
- 51
- Location
- Richmond Hill, New York
- Charges
- Civil Disorder; Obstruction of an Official Proceeding; 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; Impeding Passage Through the Capitol Grounds or Buildings; Parading, Demonstrating, or Picketing in a Capitol Building
- Case status
- Pleaded not guilty; Convicted; Sentenced
- Presidential action
- Pardon
Case Summary
Sara Carpenter is a retired New York City police officer who served there from 1994 to 2004, according to the New York Police Department. Her travel from the New York area to Washington, D.C., was documented by a device meant to bring her convenience: her E-ZPass, which paid the tolls she passed as she made her way south on Jan. 6, 2021, court documents indicate. In an interview with the FBI, Carpenter said she attended the pro-Trump rally, where she heard the then-president tell people to march to the U.S. Capitol. She did march there and told the bureau that she entered the Capitol rotunda, where she is seen on security footage taking a video and shaking a tambourine, according to court documents. Later that evening, her E-ZPass documented her return trip back to New York.
Case History
Carpenter pleaded Not Guilty to all charges. Found Guilty in a Jury trial on 3/9/2023 on all charges. Sentenced on 12/19/2023 to 22 months incarceration; 24 months of Supervised Release; Special assessment totaling $280; Restitution of $2,000. Carpenter 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 - Supporting Reporting
NPR video evidence pageNPR
Case summary, charges, procedural updates and image are drawn from the NPR Jan. 6 archive snapshot dated 2026-09-25 unless otherwise indicated.