WASHINGTON – Richard Zachary Ackerman of Salem, New Hampshire, entered a guilty plea on Thursday to both felony and misdemeanor charges linked to his involvement in the January 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol breach. The incident disrupted a Congressional session meant to certify the 2020 presidential election results.
Ackerman, 22, pleaded guilty in the District of Columbia to civil disorder and theft of government property. He is scheduled for sentencing by U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Kelly on July 25, 2024.
Court records reveal that Ackerman traveled to Washington, D.C. on the day of the riot, sending texts indicating his intent to participate in the day’s events. Upon his arrival, he engaged in actions that included donning a stolen U.S. Capitol Police helmet and participating in confrontations with police at the Capitol. He later described a helmet he took as a “war trophy.”
The FBI arrested Ackerman on June 20, 2023, at his home where the stolen helmet was found. His case is being prosecuted by the Department of Justice’s National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section, with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire.