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Ryan Taylor Nicholspardon

Jan 20, 2025

Updated Jun 4, 2026
Net worth
Unknown
Crimes
january 6, obstruction, weapons, post pardon
Convicted of
Felony obstruction of an official proceeding; felony assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers (Jan. 6 Capitol breach)
Original sentence
63 months' imprisonment; 36 months' supervised release; $200,000 fine; $2,000 restitution (May 2, 2024)
Time served
Released upon Jan. 20, 2025 pardon before completing federal term

Background

Ryan Taylor Nichols, also referred to in court records as Ryan Nichols, was prosecuted in the District of Columbia for his conduct during the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Federal prosecutors described him as among the rioters who breached the building and encouraged others to join the mob. He was sentenced in 2024 and pardoned in January 2025.

The Case

Nichols pleaded guilty to felony obstruction of an official proceeding and felony assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia, he entered the Capitol through a broken window, stood on a window ledge with a crowbar and bullhorn, and shouted to other rioters to enter the building, calling the event a "second revolution" and telling the crowd it was not a peaceful protest. On May 2, 2024, he was sentenced to 63 months in prison, 36 months of supervised release, a $200,000 fine, and $2,000 in restitution. His conduct was part of the January 6 attack, which disrupted the certification of the presidential election, endangered law enforcement, and damaged public trust in the peaceful transfer of power.

After President Trump's January 2025 pardon, Nichols was released from federal custody without completing his sentence. In May 2026, the Harrison County, Texas, sheriff's office said deputies responded to a complaint outside a church about a person reaching for a firearm during a dispute. The agency reported that Nichols confronted another person and continued to do so as the other party tried to leave. Local news outlets reported that he was arrested and charged with deadly conduct and harassment, with an arraignment scheduled in June 2026. Law enforcement and news accounts framed the incident as another example of alleged criminal conduct by a pardoned Capitol defendant after clemency restored his liberty.

The Pardon

On January 20, 2025, President Trump granted Nichols a full pardon under a proclamation covering certain offenses relating to the events at or near the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.

Sources