Steven Daniel Thurlow

Case Summary

A witness contacted the FBI identifying Steven Thurlow as having been inside the Capitol building on Jan. 6, 2021, according to court documents. The witness also provided screenshots of Thurlow’s Facebook posts, including one in which he is seen wearing camouflage tactical gear with a “Boogaloo” patch on his chest. The extremist Boogaloo movement anticipates a second civil war in America, and some adherents even seek to bring about that conflict. “Ahh nothing like a new pair of 511’s and fresh set of level IV SAPI’s in the plate carrier to go “peacefully protest” with, the caption to the picture read, referring to a high-level ballistic body armor plate, Thurlow had allegedly purchased. According to the FBI, Thurlow served in the Army from 1988 until 1991. A second witness told the FBI that Thurlow had become something of a “conspiracy theorist” after joining the military. Inside the Capitol building, photos show Thurlow lying on what appears to be a conference room table. He is also seen walking around the hallways recording on his cellphone, wearing a camouflage jacket, a yellow scarf and white rimmed sunglasses. According to sentencing memos filed in court, Thurlow served in the U.S. Army.

Case History

Thurlow pleaded Guilty to one charge: Parading, Demonstrating, or Picketing in a Capitol Building. The other charges are dismissed. Sentenced 8/30/2022 to 24 months of probation, 80 hours of community service, $500 in restitution; $10 special assessment. Thurlow 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.