Record at a Glance
- Category
- Jan 6th
- Age in NPR record
- 39
- Location
- Bedford, Indiana
- Charges
- Parading, Demonstrating, or Picketing in a Capitol Building
- Case status
- Pleaded guilty; Sentenced
- Presidential action
- Pardon
Case Summary
Law enforcement first learned of William Lance Wilkerson's alleged involvement in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol when someone shared Facebook posts of Wilkerson's with authorities. Those posts seemed to indicate that Wilkerson was at the incident, court documents indicate. In one, Wilkerson wrote: "Standing up for your rights is also being part of the mass. I did my part today!" In another, he wrote: "Real patriots did infiltrate the capitol. I watched it happen. The media is all lies unless they were there." The FBI also allegedly identified Wilkerson in surveillance footage and publicly available footage walking around the building that day.
Case History
Wilkerson pleaded Guilty to the charge. Sentenced on 11/20/2023 to 24 Months of Probation (with conditions); Restitution of $500; Special Assessment of $10; 50 hours of community service. Wilkerson 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.