Record at a Glance
- Category
- Jan 6th
- Age in NPR record
- 37
- Location
- Pasco, Washington
- Charges
- Possession of an Unregistered Firearm; Carrying a Pistol Without a License (Outside Home or Place of Business) (2 counts); Possession of a Large Capacity Ammunition Feeding Device; Unlawful Possession of Ammunition; False Information and Hoaxes; 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; Parading, Demonstrating, or Picketing in a Capitol Building; Criminal Forfeiture
- Case status
- Pleaded not guilty; Dismissed in part or full
Case Summary
Federal prosecutors allege that Taylor Taranto breached the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 while wearing a "Make Space Great Again" hat and a black cane. Court papers state that Taranto was nearby rioter Ashli Babbitt, around the time she attempted to climb through a door protecting members of Congress from the mob and was subsequently fatally shot by a Capitol Police officer. After police told Taranto to leave the building, he allegedly "scuffled" with police before being forced to leave. Months later, Taranto uploaded a video from the Capitol riot to social media, in which he said, "So we're in the Capitol Building...we just stormed it," according to prosecutors. Taranto was arrested more than two years after the Capitol riot, and he allegedly re-posted the video in Feb. 2023 with the caption, "Look, Mom! I'm an insurrectionist now and on TV!" Court documents indicate that Taranto supported tenets of the far-right conspiracy theory known as QAnon. Prosecutors allege that by June 2023, Taranto was living in a van, travelling around the Washington, D.C.-area, and making threats against Maryland Congressman Jamie Raskin, Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, and former President Barack Obama. One day, Taranto allegedly began walking around the area where Obama has a home, which is protected by the U.S. Secret Service. While livestreaming video, Taranto allegedly said "We’re gonna see what we can get, as a shot. If I were them, I’d be watching this, watching my every move." Eventually, Secret Service agents arrested Taranto after he fled into Rock Creek Park. After searching Taranto's van, law enforcement allegedly found two guns, hundreds of rounds of ammunition and a machete. Taranto served in the U.S. Navy from 2004-2010. The Navy confirmed to NPR that, among other awards, Taranto received the Iraq Campaign Medal, which indicates he deployed to Iraq during the war, and the Combat Action Ribbon, which indicates that he "rendered satisfactory performance under enemy fire while actively participating in a ground or surface combat engagement."
Case History
Taranto pleaded Not Guilty to all charges. On 1/25/2025, the government stated it had filed a motion to dismiss with prejudice Counts Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, and Eleven of the Superseding Indictment. The government will continue prosecuting the charges unrelated to January 6 and intends to proceed with the trial that is scheduled to begin on May 12, 2025. On 2/12/2025, the court granted the government's partial motion to dismiss. Counts 7-11 are dismissed with prejudice.
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.