From “Will Be Wild” to “Charges Have Been Filed”
Just weeks before the pivotal 2024 presidential election, it's worth looking back at the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riots and the impact that Pennsylvanians had on the 2020 election fraud claims and the chaos that ensued.
Supporters of then-President Donald Trump flocked from all corners of the state – from Pittsburgh and Palmyra to Harrisburg and Havertown – to Washington, D.C. for the pro-Trump rally that later turned violent. Charges levied against Pennsylvania defendants include destruction of government property, obstruction of an official proceeding, violent entry, and assaulting law enforcement officers.
Federal officials estimated that about 10,000 rioters entered the Capitol grounds, roughly 1,200 ultimately entered the Capitol building and about 250 individuals were wanted for assaulting police officers. Meanwhile, Trump has continued to push the idea of pardoning Jan. 6 offenders , saying he would seek "full pardons with an apology to many."
Using data from the Department of Homeland Security Emeritus Center of Excellence led by the University of Maryland, as well as information from Stacker , City & State compiled a list of the Jan 6. insurrection defendant cases in Pennsylvania – a total of 107 at the time of publication.
The commonwealth ranks third among all states in the number of Jan. 6 defendants, trailing only Florida, with 138, and Texas, with 112. Of the 107 cases, 64 have resulted in guilty pleas, four resulted in convictions by trial, four were dismissed and 28 are still pending.
Here are a few of the notable charges here in the Keystone State:
Leo Brent Bozell IV, Palmyra
Leo Brent Bozell IV, the son of conservative activist Leo Brent Bozell III, was arrested in February 2021 on charges including disorderly conduct, knowingly entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds and obstructing an official proceeding. He pleaded not guilty in March 2021 and was found guilty of 10 charges, including five felonies, and sentenced to 45 months. Prosecutors had requested a terrorism enhancement, arguing that Bozell led a mob through police lines, smashed the Capitol's windows and raided then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office, but the judge rejected it.
Rachel Powell, Mercer County
Rachel Powell, a former Californian and a mother of eight, was sentenced just over a year ago to 57 months in prison and 36 months of supervised release. Carrying an axe and wooden pole, she was described by the Justice Department as "one of the first rioters to break through onto Capitol grounds near the Peace Circle."
Zachary Rehl, Philadelphia
Rehl, a leader of the far-right, neo-fascist Proud Boys group, was indicted on June 6, 2022 for seditious conspiracy – a charge to which he pleaded not guilty. At the time, the 36-year-old was recommended for a 30-year prison sentence, but was sentenced to half that time – 15 years.
Howard Richardson, King of Prussia
Richardson, who struck a police officer with a flag pole hard enough to break the pole, was sentenced to three years and 10 months in prison , followed by three years of supervised release. He was arrested in November 2021 and pleaded guilty in April 2022.
Robert Sanford, Chester
A retired firefighter who threw a fire extinguisher at police officers and called them "traitors," Robert Sanford was sentenced to four years and four months in prison on April 11, 2023.
Peter Schwartz, Uniontown
Although he considered Owensboro, Kentucky as his home, Peter Schwartz was working as a welder in Uniontown prior to his arrest in February 2021. Schwartz – whose supporters raised $71,000 for him in an online campaign that falsely claimed he was being held as a "political prisoner" – was sentenced to 14 years and two months in prison. He sprayed a Super Soaker canister of pepper spray at retreating officers. Schwartz is no stranger to the system: He had 38 prior convictions over the previous 30 years.
Riley June Williams, Harrisburg
