States where the most Jan. 6 rioters were arrested

Bill Clark // Getty Images Leading up to the riot in which supporters of then-President Donald Trump attempted to storm the U.S. Capitol Building on Jan. 6, 2021, it had been clear to international and national intelligence and research institutions for years that right-wing extremism was on the rise in the country. As far back as 2009, the Department of Homeland Security noted a cyclicality to the emergence of right-wing extremism, which was catalyzed in the 2000s by an economic downturn and the election of America’s first Black president. And indeed, the Center for Strategic and International Studies found in 2020 that right-wing terrorism had surpassed terrorism spawned from other ideologies at an alarming rate. The CSIS defines right-wing terrorism as “the use or threat of violence by sub-national or non-state entities whose goals may include racial, ethnic, or religious supremacy; opposition to government authority; and the end of practices like abortion.” Right-wing terrorism in the U.S. has found tragic, deadly, and racist expression in crimes such as the antisemitic mass shooting at the Tree of Life Congregation in Pittsburgh and the shooting that took the lives of nine Black worshippers at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina. On the first day of the Biden administration in 2021, the White House officially listed domestic terrorism spawned from right-wing extremism as the main terrorist threat to the U.S. As a singular event, the Jan. 6 riot was the culmination of years of political division and mounting activity and violence by right-wing extremists. To paint a picture of how widespread such activity has been across the U.S., Stacker investigated where the most Jan. 6 rioters were arrested using data from the Department of Justice. An estimated 2,000 to 2,500 people entered the Capitol Building during the Jan. 6 riot. As of Feb. 16, 2023, the DOJ has charged 1,003 people in association with the riot, either for actions occurring that day or for having a connection to those who performed them. Of those, 518 have pleaded guilty, and 420 have been adjudicated and sentenced. There are currently two states without any indicted Jan. 6 rioters–North Dakota and Wyoming–and there are 30 indicted people who have not been traced back to a particular state. The DOJ is still actively pursuing cases; full details on all current cases associated with the Capitol Siege are publicly available from a variety of sources. States are ranked by the number of rioters arrested in that state; ties are broken by rioters per million state residents. You may also like: Women politicians who broke barriers #49. Mississippi Canva – Number of rioters: 1 – Rioters per million people: 0.3 For Michael Brock to drive from Southaven, Mississippi, where he was arrested, to the Capitol would have taken roughly 14 hours. Like many rioters, Brock was identified through a video posted to Parler, the conservative social media app. He was recorded brandishing a long pole as a lance and striking police officers. #48. Nebraska Canva – Number of rioters: 1 – Rioters per million people: 0.5 For Brandon Straka, a rioter arrested in Omaha, Nebraska–a plane ride to the Capitol would have taken four hours, and a drive would have taken 16-19 hours. Straka entered a plea deal for his actions on Jan. 6–including encouraging other rioters to take a riot shield from a police officer–and was fined $5,000, and given 36 months of probation and three months of home detention. #47. Hawaii Canva – Number of rioters: 1 – Rioters per million people: 0.7 After a 10-hour flight from Honolulu, Nicholas Ochs was a particularly active rioter on Jan. 6, throwing smoke bombs, yelling the now infamous phrase “Where’s Nancy?” and scrawling incitements to violence on government property. Ochs is also the founder of the Hawaii chapter of the Proud Boys, a hate group described by the Southern Poverty Law Center as having white nationalist, anti-Muslim, misogynistic, and extremist beliefs. For his actions, Ochs was sentenced to four years of incarceration, and ordered to pay a $5,000 fine and $2,000 of restitution. #46. Rhode Island Ramunas Bruzas // Shutterstock – Number of rioters: 1 – Rioters per million people: 0.9 A short, seven-hour drive to the Capitol–the rioter arrested in Ashaway, Rhode Island, was recorded on CCTV cameras mostly walking around inside the building as the crowd poured in, and was later identified by law enforcement through cell phone records of the calls he made while there. Though not necessarily a hotbed of right-wing extremism, like most states, Rhode Island has seen an increase in right-wing extremism in recent years, connected primarily to hate groups such as Patriot Front, Proud Boys, and the Oath Keepers. #45. Vermont Sean Pavone // Shutterstock – Number of rioters: 1 – Rioters per million people: 1.5 Though arrested in Hardwick–a fairly remote, northern town in Vermont–Brian Preller is a resident of Mount Dora, Florida, and is one of five members of a self-titled extremist group called the “B Squad,” a subgroup of the larger extremist group, the Three Percenters. Preller was part of the heavily outfitted front line that attempted to breach one of the tunnels into the Capitol Building, near where some members of Congress were sheltering in place. As of this writing, his case is pending. You may also like: Youngest and oldest presidents in US history #44. New Mexico turtix // Shutterstock – Number of rioters: 2 – Rioters per million people: 0.9 The two rioters arrested in New Mexico underwent a nearly 2,000-mile, 30-hour drive to reach Washington D.C. One was found not guilty, and the other, Shawn Bradley Witzemann, spent six days in jail. Apparently indirectly associated with the Proud Boys, Witzemann tried to encourage police officers to join the rioters and was sentenced to an additional 60 hours of community service for his actions. #43. South Dakota Hank Shiffman // Shutterstock – Number of rioters: 2 – Rioters per million people: 2.2 One of the Jan. 6 rioters from South Dakota was arrested in the vast expanse of the Badlands National Park, 1,500 miles away from the Capitol. The other was arrested in Mitchell, nearer to the Minnesota border, and was indicted on more serious charges, partly due to a Youtube account on which he posted rap videos detailing his actions and intentions during the riot. #42. Alaska Marc Cappelletti // Shutterstock – Number of rioters: 2 – Rioters per million people: 2.7 Both Alaska rioters were arrested in Anchorage, roughly 4,200 miles from the Capitol, a 70-hour drive across the vastness of Canada, or a nine-hour flight. With only 733,391 residents, Alaska is America’s third least populous state, which, coupled with its distance from Washington D.C., likely contributed to fewer participants in the events of Jan. 6. Of the two cases, one rioter arrested in Alaska, actually a resident of Alabama, was involved in the direct confrontation with Capitol police in the Lower West Terrace and, among other crimes, pepper-sprayed an officer. #41. Louisiana Canva – Number of rioters: 3 – Rioters per million people: 0.7 Louisiana is a state that, historically, has had a high number of active hate groups per capita. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, in 2021 there were 15 active hate groups in the state. A little over 1,000 miles from Washington D.C., the three residents of Louisiana arrested in connection with the riot all traveled by car to participate, taking between 15 and 19 hours to traverse the distance. #40. Nevada Jacob Boomsma // Shutterstock – Number of rioters: 3 – Rioters per million people: 0.9 With the recent revelations that Fox News President Jay Wallace refused to call Nevada for President Biden in 2020, it might come as little surprise that the Jan. 6 rioters arrested in Nevada were proponents of the “Stop the Steal” conspiracy theory. Of the three, Nathaniel DeGrave and Ronald “Ronnie” Sandlin were active supporters of intentionally disrupting or halting a peaceful transition of power. They also crowdfunded funds to transport other rioters to Washington D.C. Sandlin was sentenced to five years and three months in prison and ordered to pay a $20,000 fine and $2,000 restitution. DeGrave has pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing. You may also like: Democratic Party history from the year you were born #39. New Hampshire Canva – Number of rioters: 3 – Rioters per million people: 2.2 New Hampshire, seven to nine hours from D.C. by car, contains a relatively high number of hate groups per capita, as monitored by the SPLC. There was a quadrupling in hate crimes from 2018-2022 in the state. Of the three rioters arrested, one appeared in an interview on NBC10 Boston and discussed his experience inside the Capitol, stating that he had “poured a glass of wine and watched it unfold” while inside the building–admissions that were used against him by the federal government. #38. Connecticut James Kirkikis // Shutterstock – Number of rioters: 4 – Rioters per million people: 1.1 To get to the Capitol, these four rioters would have had to travel through New York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore, taking somewhere between five and nine hours. One of these individuals, Richard Crosby Jr., was pictured alongside Jacob Chansley, the “QAnon Shaman,” at the Senate dais, shortly following Mike Pence’s evacuation. #37. Arkansas Trong Nguyen // Shutterstock – Number of rioters: 4 – Rioters per million people: 1.3 Of the four rioters arrested in Arkansas, Richard “Bigo” Barnett is the most infamous, having posed for a photo with his foot on the desk of then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Recently convicted on all eight counts levied against him by federal prosecutors, Barnett was combative, explosive, and occasionally expressed regret during his grand jury trial. Traveling from the far right corner of Arkansas would have taken Barnett 18 hours by car and a little over four by plane. #36. Maine Canva – Number of rioters: 4 – Rioters per million people: 2.9 After experiencing a dramatic increase in hate crimes in 2020, Maine has continued to see an elevated rate of hate-related incidents, with 32% of hate crimes directed at LGBTQ+ residents. Traveling just over 500 miles to reach the Capitol, Kyle Fitzsimmons is Maine’s most seriously charged resident, having been convicted of assaulting multiple officers during his participation in the riot. A genuine belief the 2020 election had been stolen fueled Fitzsimmons’ involvement. #35. Montana Canva – Number of rioters: 5 – Rioters per million people: 4.5 Home to a consistently high number of hate groups per capita, Montana is roughly 30 hours by car from Washington. A shorter six-hour flight would set someone back around $600. Of those arrested in the state, the Hughes brothers were members of the crowd diverted by Officer Eugene Goodman, whose actions likely helped prevent direct danger to politicians like Sen. Mitt Romney. You may also like: States with the most Confederate memorials #34. Delaware Real Window Creative // Shutterstock – Number of rioters: 5 – Rioters per million people: 4.9 According to the Pew Research Center, Delaware is a largely politically moderate state. Therefore, the relatively high number of rioters per million people is most likely due to the fact that Washington D.C. is accessible within two hours from most places in Delaware. Of the rioters arrested, Kevin Seefried, who received a three-year prison sentence, and his son Hunter, sentenced to two years in prison, received perhaps the most press exposure–the elder Seefried was photographed carrying a Confederate flag through the Capitol building. #33. Oregon Canva – Number of rioters: 6 – Rioters per million people: 1.4 With a stark urban-rural divide that characterizes much of the political strife in the state, Oregon has historically had considerable difficulty with right-wing extremist and militant groups. However, it has seen more recent success in combating them. But in 2020, Oregon accounted for 10% of all hate crime-related incidents nationally. It ranked sixth in the nation for the number of hate-related incidents from 2011-2020, despite ranking 27th in population size. Roughly 2,800 miles from D.C., a flight from Oregon to the Capitol takes around six hours and was the main mode of travel used by the state’s six rioters. #32. Idaho Canva – Number of rioters: 7 – Rioters per million people: 3.6 After dramatically dropping from a ledge in the Senate chambers, Idaho resident Josiah Colt entered the chambers and sat in Vice President Mike Pence’s seat, actions which have led to one guilty plea so far. An overwhelmingly conservative state, Idaho has seen the same rise in right-wing extremism experienced in much of the country. In the ’70s, the state was home to the Aryan Nations, a neo-Nazi group that established a base of operations in Hayden. It remained active until 1998, when the group was litigated into dissolution by the SPLC. #31. Oklahoma TLF Images // Shutterstock – Number of rioters: 8 – Rioters per million people: 2.0 Oklahomans voted for Trump in the 2020 election by a margin of 33%, the fourth highest in the nation, continuing a trend of deep conservative support in the state. An over 20-hour drive from the Capitol, a number of the rioters arrested in Oklahoma were identified by an ad-hoc community of online investigators who dedicated themselves in the aftermath of Jan. 6 to helping investigators find suspects. These internet sleuths have proven an integral part of holding rioters accountable for their actions by providing the FBI with tips from Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Parler, and more. #30. Iowa Canva – Number of rioters: 8 – Rioters per million people: 2.5 A state that used to neatly mirror the nation’s prevailing political winds, Iowa has drifted steadily into the conservative pocket in recent years, enough so that many Democratic party strategists consider it a lost cause in the short term. Of the rioters arrested from the state, many were strong proponents of the QAnon conspiracy theory, one of the most notable being Doug Jensen, who received a five-year prison term, and whom prosecutors described as a particularly active instigator. You may also like: What a Roe v. Wade reversal could mean for abortion access across America #29. Kansas Canva – Number of rioters: 8 – Rioters per million people: 2.7 Kansas is a roughly 18-20 hour drive or three-hour flight from the Capitol. Of the Kansas residents arrested in connection with their actions on Jan. 6, five are members of the Kansas City Proud Boys. Outfitted in tactical gear, this group joined in the riot intending to disrupt the peaceful transition of power, and most of them have received prison terms for their actions. #28. West Virginia Canva – Number of rioters: 8 – Rioters per million people: 4.5 With most of West Virginia only a few hours from Washington, many of the rioters arrested in the state would have had little trouble reaching the Capitol Building. Of the notable participants, Derrick Evans stands out for being an active member of the West Virginia House of Delegates. He stormed the capitol–actions which led to his resignation, a three-month prison term, and a total of $4,000 in fines and restitution. For his role in the assault of Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick, who died of natural causes one day after the events of Jan. 6, George Tanios was sentenced to time already served. #27. Wisconsin Canva – Number of rioters: 9 – Rioters per million people: 1.5 Though contributing a relatively low number of rioters to the list, Wisconsin was still party to unrest and election denial in the wake of the 2020 election. The Wisconsin Republican Party sent high-up members of its party infrastructure, including its former chair Andrew Hitt, to the electoral college to attempt to cast fraudulent votes for Trump. #26. Minnesota Canva – Number of rioters: 9 – Rioters per million people: 1.6 A state increasingly defined by its urban-rural divide, Minnesota is also one of 17 states currently holding a Democratic trifecta and Democratic triplex, meaning essentially complete control of the levers of government in the state. Just over 1,000 miles from the Capitol, rioters from Minnesota were comparatively inactive during the Jan. 6 riot. #25. Utah Canva – Number of rioters: 9 – Rioters per million people: 2.7 With 60% of its population identifying as Mormon in 2021, an overwhelmingly conservative-leaning religion, the group has generally defined the politics of Utah. Though Mormon leaders quickly condemned the Capitol riot and have a history of directly opposing hate groups like the KKK, the somewhat extreme religious beliefs of the church have led to a burgeoning of white nationalism and alt-right sentiment within some of its ranks. You may also like: Most expensive military weapons and programs #24. Arizona Brandon Burris // Shutterstock – Number of rioters: 10 – Rioters per million people: 1.4 The focus of a recent New York Times report detailing the inner workings and panic of Fox News in the wake of the 2020 election, Arizona has more broadly become a hotbed for the particular rifts plaguing the contemporary American political landscape. At least two members of the Arizona State Legislature, as well as Congressman Paul Gosar, are self-proclaimed Oath Keepers. This is a group the ADL defines as “right-wing anti-government extremists who are part of the militia movement, which believes that the federal government has been co-opted by a shadowy conspiracy that is trying to strip American citizens of their rights.” Of the many notable rioters hailing from Arizona, Jacob Chansley, known as the “QAnon Shaman,” came to symbolize the event. He was sentenced to over three years in prison for his involvement. #23. Massachusetts Canva – Number of rioters: 10 – Rioters per million people: 1.4 Leaders of the right-wing organization Super Fun Happy America, based in Massachusetts, chartered six buses to transport Trump supporters 600 miles to the Capitol. Mark Sahady, the group’s vice president, has pleaded not guilty to all charges levied against him, but lost his job due to public backlash to his involvement. In the wake of Jan. 6, Super Fun Happy America, which has allied itself with extremist groups like the Proud Boys, saw a dramatic increase in membership. #22. Maryland eurobanks // Shutterstock – Number of rioters: 15 – Rioters per million people: 2.4 As has been the case with a number of the states on this list, a Maryland resident who participated in the Jan. 6 rally gained some local political clout as a result. Dan Cox clinched the Republican nomination for governor off the back of his involvement in the event–but lost the election in a landslide. Of the actual rioters from Maryland, a number were involved in violent assaults on police officers that attempted to contain the insurrection. In the wake of Jan. 6, four police officers on duty that day later died by suicide–an indication of the trauma that such violent encounters can inflict. #21. South Carolina PQK // Shutterstock – Number of rioters: 15 – Rioters per million people: 2.8 Though extremist groups were central to escalating the violence on Jan. 6, analysis has indicated that roughly 87% of rioters were not members of groups like the Proud Boys or Oath Keepers. Most rioters from South Carolina participated in the insurrection on the mistaken belief it was their duty to support Trump in opposition to a stolen election. #20. Alabama Canva – Number of rioters: 15 – Rioters per million people: 3.0 A state that bore witness to the tragic and violent legacy of the KKK, Alabama has long been a hotbed for violent, extremist right-wing groups. Many rioters from Alabama came to Washington D.C. prepared for violence, some bringing with them Molotov cocktails, guns, and bulletproof vests. You may also like: Experts rank the best US presidents of all time #19. Indiana Canva – Number of rioters: 16 – Rioters per million people: 2.3 Indiana has a solidly conservative voting history. Most rioters from Indiana were not part of violent extremist groups and had instead fallen prey to election falsehoods peddled by Trump. The degree to which Trump incited violence on Jan. 6 is a topic that will likely never rest in American politics. Still, institutional perspectives indicate his words and unwillingness to call for a cease to violence stoked the flames of the rioters. #18. Colorado Canva – Number of rioters: 17 – Rioters per million people: 2.9 In the years leading up to Jan. 6, Colorado experienced an exceptionally high increase in hate crimes, with 2021 representing the highest number recorded in the state since the FBI began keeping tabs on them in 1990. That being said, the state has started to trend leftward in its politics in recent years, and its population is growing at a greater rate than the rest of the country. These changes likely contribute to a divisive political landscape that elected Congresswoman Lauren Boebert to office, despite (or because of) her history of associating with militia groups. #17. Kentucky Canva – Number of rioters: 20 – Rioters per million people: 4.4 With most of Kentucky within 10 hours of Washington by car, the relatively high number of Kentuckians that participated in the riots may come as little surprise. Of those involved, a significant number participated in the initial violent assault on Capitol police officers. Before rioters breached the Capitol building, Republican politicians across the states were beseeched by protestors to overturn the election. Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell spoke against those efforts less than two hours before rioters entered the Senate chambers. #16. North Carolina Canva – Number of rioters: 21 – Rioters per million people: 2.0 In a state with a historically high number of hate groups per capita, at least two rioters from North Caroline have pleaded guilty to sedition and conspiracy charges, carrying a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. A deeply conservative state, North Carolina’s primary party affiliations throughout history neatly mirror the ideological switch undergone by the Republican and Democratic parties in the early and mid-20th century. #15. Georgia