Kentucky residents accused of participating in the U.S. Capitol riot
At least 11 people from Kentucky and one University of Kentucky student have been charged after allegedly participating in the U.S. Capitol insurrection on Jan. 6, according to federal court records.
During the riot, which ostensibly started as a rally for former President Donald Trump, his supporters stormed the Capitol to stop Congress from certifying President-elect Joe Biden’s victory. Many rioters were seen on video arguing with, attacking and assaulting police officers.
One officer died of his injuries. Another rioter was killed by police when she attempted to climb through a window to the Speaker’s Lobby in the Capitol. Three more had medical emergencies, including one woman who was trampled. The Capitol Police also noted two additional officers died shortly after the riots but not by riot violence.
The FBI investigated rioters for breaking federal laws that protect the Capitol. They continue to identify participants from social media and other sources.
Here are the 11 Kentucky residents and the one UK student who have been charged.
Robert L. Bauer
FBI agents interviewed Bauer after an anonymous source told investigators that he posted photos from inside the Capitol on his Facebook page, according to an affidavit filed in federal court. Bauer admitted that he went to Washington, D.C., to attend Trump’s rally, according to the FBI.
He told agents that he walked to the Capitol and went in because of Trump’s encouragement, according to the FBI.
Bauer told the FBI he encountered a police officer inside who shook his hand and said, “It’s your house now, man,” according to the agency’s affidavit. He said he believed the officer did so out of fear.
Bauer shared several photos from his phone, and they showed him inside the Capitol, according to the affidavit. He was charged with knowingly entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds without lawful authority as well as violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.
Bauer was released from custody on an unsecured $25,000 bond, according to court records. A federal judge ordered him not to attend or participate in any public rallies or protests as a condition of his release. He was also barred from entering any state or federal Capitol grounds.
Bauer pleaded not guilty to his charges on Feb. 12, and a status conference was scheduled for May 12, according to court records. He was still out on supervised release as of Feb. 24.
Read more on Bauer’s charges here.
Damon Michael Beckley
Beckley was arrested Jan. 16, according to the FBI’s Louisville field office. He was caught on video outside the Capitol, according to Louisville news station WDRB, and he told WDRB that he was inside the Capitol.
He told the news station that he tried to avoid being arrested by taking the SIM card out of his phone and deleting his Facebook account.
Beckley was charged with unlawful entry of a restricted building and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds, according to the FBI.
Beckley was granted conditional release from custody under strict orders. He wasn’t allowed to post online about the Jan. 6 Trump rally or “the matters related to U.S. government,” according to court records. He also had significant travel restrictions.
Beckley’s case was transferred from federal court in the Western District of Kentucky to a court in D.C., but Beckley offered to enter a plea of no contest, asked the court to loosen some of his restrictions, plus give him probation instead of prison time. The Kentucky court passed the email along to D.C., according to court records.
A new order for Beckley’s conditional release was filed in D.C. on Jan. 27. The court had to approve any travel outside the continental United States, and Beckley had to report any travel outside the Western District of Kentucky, according to court records. He couldn’t travel to Washington, D.C., except for court purposes.
He was still barred from having a firearm or a passport, according to court records.
Read the full story on his charges here.
Gracyn Dawn Courtright
Courtright is a West Virginia resident but has attended the University of Kentucky in Lexington. FBI investigators reviewed screenshots from her social media accounts that showed she was at the Capitol, according to court records.
She faces several charges, including knowingly entering a restricted building and engaging in disorderly conduct in a restricted building and theft of government property.
Courtright was criticized on social media after she posted video from inside the Capitol. A petition to have her expelled from UK had more than 2,900 signatures as of Jan. 27.
She appeared in federal court on Jan. 19 in West Virginia, where she stayed while UK was on winter break, according to court records. She was released from custody, but her travel was restricted to West Virginia and D.C. for court appearances. She was also permitted to travel to Kentucky to go to classes, pending approval from her probation officer.
Courtright was arraigned in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 11. She pleaded not guilty and a status hearing was scheduled for April 8.
Read more about Courtright’s charges here.
Chad Barrett Jones
Jones was accused of breaking glass in an attempt to get into the Speaker’s Lobby just moments before Ashli Babbitt was shot and killed, according to court records.
Jones was charged with assault of a federal officer, taking part in a civil disorder, destruction of government property worth more than $1,000, obstruction of an official proceeding, unlawfully entering a restricted building, and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office in the District of Columbia.
Jones was allegedly identified in videos by a friend and a family member, according to an affidavit filed in federal court. He allegedly used a flag pole to bust open a glass window in the door to the Speaker’s Lobby, according to court records.
An order setting conditions of Jones’ release was filed into federal court on Jan. 29. He was required to surrender his passport, refrain from possessing a gun and stay away from Washington, D.C., except for court business. He also has to get permission from pretrial services to enter any federal government property, according to court records.
Jones has to notify pretrial services of any travel outside the court’s Western District of Kentucky, except for when he travels to a rental property, according to court records. He had to submit to GPS monitoring in order to enforce the travel restrictions.
Jones is set for a status conference hearing on March 22, according to court records.
Read more about Jones’ alleged involvement here.
Michael Sparks
Sparks was spotted inside the Capitol in several videos and photos, according to the FBI. He was seen in two videos that were widely viewed. One allegedly showed him being the first to climb through a window that other rioters had just broken.
Another showed him shouting at a Capitol police officer as the cop diverted a group of rioters away from Vice President Mike Pence’s location, according to court records.
Sparks was identified in the videos by multiple anonymous sources who provided tips to the FBI, according to an affidavit. He also made several Facebook posts about his plans to participate in the Jan. 6 rally and riot, according to court records.
Sparks was charged with knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority, violent entry/disorderly conduct on capitol grounds and obstructing law enforcement.
As part of his conditional release, Sparks was ordered to stay away from Washington, D.C., except for court purposes. He had to notify the pretrial services agency if he planned to travel out of the court’s Western District of Kentucky, and needed court approval to leave the continental United States, according to court records.
Sparks was arraigned in a D.C. court on Feb. 17 and was scheduled for a status conference on May 20, according to court records.
Read more about Sparks’ charges here.
Jordan T. Revlett
Revlett was arrested in Owensboro on Jan. 26, according to the FBI. He was charged with unlawful entry on restricted grounds and violent entry or disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds, the FBI said.
The FBI was sent a tip that Revlett posted a Snapchat video, which showed him inside the Capitol on Jan. 6, according to court records. The recordings allegedly showed Revlett walking up the steps and into the U.S. Capitol. There was a selfie with the caption, “Just so you guys know, a capitol police officer opened the door from the inside to let us in.”
Revlett told FBI agents that he didn’t see any signs restricting his entry. He said a police officer was standing behind the door he entered and never tried to stop him, according to a criminal complaint filed in federal court.
Revlett was released from federal custody on the conditions that he stay out of Washington, D.C., except for court, notify the pretrial services agency if he left western Kentucky and get court approval if he left the continental United States.
Read more about Revlett’s charges here.
Dalton Ray Crase
Crase was arrested in Lexington , according to the FBI. He was charged with aiding and abetting, entering a restricted building and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds, according to court records. FBI agents were led to Crase by another man who was only identified as “W1” in court records.
Crase admitted to entering the Capitol when interviewed by FBI agents and said it was “dumb” that he went in the building, according to court records.
“Even though we didn’t participate in violence, I think it was dumb that we went in,” Crase said while being interviewed by the FBI. He also told the agents, “I was breaking the law by being in the Capitol building but it didn’t register with me.”
Crase was granted conditional release from federal custody. His travel was restricted to the court’s Eastern District of Kentucky, and he had to stay away from Washington, D.C., except for court business, according to court records. The court had to approve any travel outside the continental United States.
Read more on Crase’s charges here.
Troy Dylan Williams
Williams was allegedly with Crase during the Capitol riot and was arrested in Lexington, according to the FBI. FBI agents were also led to Williams by “W1.”
Williams told investigators that he had planned to leave if people started “fighting the cops and getting crazy,” according to court records.
Williams was granted conditional release with travel restrictions, according to court records. He had to stay out of Washington, D.C., and get court approval to travel out of the continental United States. Williams requested permission to go to Peru for two weeks to get married, according to court records, but he has since withdrawn that request.
Williams has a status conference hearing on May 8, according to court records.
Read more on Williams’ charges here.
Peter Schwartz
Schwartz was arrested on Feb. 4 in Pennsylvania, according to court records. He was seen in multiple photos and videos at the Capitol, and allegedly sprayed pepper spray at police officers who responded to the riot.
He also allegedly posted on Facebook about his involvement in the events, according to court records.
“All the violence from the left was terrorism,” Schwartz wrote in a Jan. 7 Facebook post. “What happened yesterday was the opening of a war. I was there and whether people will acknowledge it or not, we are now at war. It would be wise to be ready!”
Schwartz was allegedly supposed to be in a rehab facility in Owensboro at the time of the riot, according to court records.
He was charged with forcibly assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers or employees; knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority (two counts); obstruction of law enforcement during civil disorder; and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.
Federal prosecutors requested that Schwartz remain in federal custody without conditional release, according to court records. Schwartz waived his right to a detention hearing in Pennsylvania, requesting that the hearing instead be held in the prosecuting district, which is D.C., according to court records.
Read more about Schwartz’s charges here.
Lori Ann Vinson
Vinson was arrested on Feb. 23, according to the FBI, more than a month after she told several news outlets that she participated in the Capitol breach and got fired for it. She said she was a nurse at a hospital in Evansville, but she didn’t regret her involvement.
Before she was charged over her involvement, Vinson said she “would do it again tomorrow.”
Vinson told investigators she and her husband both entered the Capitol but were peaceful and didn’t damage or take anything, according to the FBI.
She was charged with knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds; disorderly conduct which impedes the conduct of government business; disruptive conduct in the Capitol buildings; and parading, demonstrating or picketing the Capitol buildings.
Vinson was granted release on an unsecured $25,000 bond, according to court records.
Thomas Ray Vinson
Thomas Vinson, Lori Vinson’s husband, was arrested the same day. He faces the same charges as Lori Vinson after the two were seen in surveillance footage inside the Capitol, according to the FBI.
They were also seen in photos that Lori Vinson provided to a local media outlet, according to the FBI.
Thomas Vinson was also released on a $25,000 unsecured bond. The two were ordered to appear in federal court in Washington, D.C., on March 16.
Read more on the Vinsons’ charges here.
Clayton Ray Mullins
Mullins was arrested Feb. 23, according to the FBI.
He was charged with assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers; obstruction of law enforcement during a civil disorder; violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds; engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds; disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds; and knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds.
Mullins was charged after allegedly “violently” pulling a police officer down a set of stairs by the leg, according to an affidavit written by an FBI agent. The officer was subsequently beaten and hospitalized.
Mullins was released from federal custody on house arrest March 2, according to federal court records. He had to submit to GPS monitoring and agree not to possess a gun or other weapon, according to an order from Beryl A. Howell, chief U.S. District Judge in Washington, D.C.
Read more about Mullins’ charges here.
This story will be updated with more information.
This story was originally published January 19, 2021 at 7:52 PM.