Record at a Glance
- Category
- Jan 6th
- Age in NPR record
- 20
- Location
- Casselberry, Florida
- Charges
- Entering and Remaining in a Restricted Building or Grounds; Disorderly and Disruptive Conduct in a Restricted Building or Grounds
- Case status
- Pleaded guilty; Sentenced
- Presidential action
- Pardon
Case Summary
Federal prosecutors allege that Tyler Bensch is part of a Florida-based militia group known as the “B Squad” - an apparent reference to an “alternate plan” in the case that former President Donald Trump could not remain in power. The “B Squad,” court documents state, adheres to the anti-government pro-militia ideology of the Three Percenters. In December 2020, members of the “B Squad” allegedly distributed a message about the upcoming protest on Jan. 6, 2021 stating that a Three Percenter group was “responding to the call from President Donald J. Trump to assist in the security, protection, and support of the people as we all protest the fraudulent election and re-establish liberty for our nation.” A leader of the “B Squad,” identified in court documents only as “B Leader,” then coordinated travel and booked a block of rooms at a hotel in Washington, D.C, and encouraged group members to bring “defensive tools,” including knives, a taser, pepper spray, and a metal baton. On Jan. 6, 2021, “Bensch wore a tactical vest, as well as a military-style helmet with goggles and a black gas mask,” along with “a chemical irritant in front of the vest,” the Justice Department said. While other members of the “B Squad” allegedly pushed on the police line guarding the tunnel on the west side of the Capitol, Bensch “remained just outside.” After police successfully repelled the group, Bensch “used one of his chemical irritants to spray the face of an individual who was an unknown member of the crowd, even though that person posed no threat to him,” the Justice Department stated.
Case History
Bensch pleaded Guilty to the two charges. Sentenced on 7/7/2023 to 24 Months of Probation; home detention for 60 days; 60 hours of community service; Special Assessment of $50; Restitution of $500. Bensch 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.