Thomas Edward Caldwell

Case Summary

U.S. Navy veteran Thomas Caldwell was indicted on federal conspiracy and other charges in connection with the Capitol riot. Federal prosecutors allege Caldwell is affiliated with the far-right Oath Keepers militia and say he was involved in planning and coordinating the breach of the U.S. Capitol, with at least two other individuals who are also indicted on conspiracy charges. That coordinating, prosecutors say, includes an attempt to reach out to the Three Percenters militia group in the days leading up to the insurrection to "discuss plans to transport weapons across the Potomac by boat." According to court documents, on Jan. 1, 2021, Caldwell replied to a Facebook comment, writing, "I swore to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic. I did the former, I have done the latter peacefully but they have morphed into pure evil even blatantly rigging an election and paying off the political caste. We must smite them now and drive them down." On Jan. 6, as a crowd descended on the U.S. Capitol, Caldwell allegedly sent a Faceook message, writing, "We are surging forward. Doors breached." Minutes later, Caldwell wrote, "Inside." Federal investigators found that while Caldwell was at the Capitol, he received a message from an unnamed individual who said, “All members are in the tunnels under capital [sic] seal them in. Turn on gas.” Later that evening, after the National Guard secured the Capitol building, investigators believe Caldwell sent a Facebook message to another rioter also facing conspiracy charges. “We need to do this at the local level," he said. "Lets [sic] storm the capitol in Ohio. Tell me when!” In a motion for his release from detention, Caldwell's lawyer revealed that after he retired from the armed forces Caldwell served as an FBI section chief from 2009-2010 and has held a top-secret security clearance since 1979. The court filing also indicates Caldwell formed and operated a consulting firm that has done business for the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Coast Guard and the Army Personnel Command. Prosecutors opposed the motion, citing, among other things, a search of Caldwell's residence in Virginia, where federal investigators allegedly found a document labeled "Death List." "Handwritten on the document was the name of an election official from another state," said prosecutors. They have not identified that official.

Case History

Caldwell pleaded Not Guilty to all charges. Jury trial began 9/27/2022. On 11/29/2022, Caldwell was found Guilty on two charges: Obstruction of an Official Proceeding and Tampering with Documents or Proceedings. Not Guilty on Seditious Conspiracy; Conspiracy to Obstruct an Official Proceeding; Conspiracy to Prevent an Officer from Discharging Any Duties. Sentenced on 1/10/2025 to time served with no supervised release to follow; Special Assessment of $100. The Obstruction conviction was dismissed. A proclamation commutes the sentence to time served as of January 20, 2025. He received a full pardon on March 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.