With Donald Trump taking office on Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Jan. 20), lawmakers anticipate Trump’s promised pardons for still-imprisoned insurrectionists charged for actions four years prior. Here are the Dallas-Fort Worth Texans that may be cleared of their criminal convictions.
Texans, especially those from DFW, contributed greatly to the massive numbers of the Jan. 6 insurrection. Taking place four years ago today, more than 100 people from the state participated in the pro-fascist riot. Within a day-and-a-half, five people died and injuries to 174 officers were documented.
With promises made by President-elect Donald Trump to pardon Jan. 6 rioters on the first day of his second nonconsecutive term, lawmakers and the general public at-large brace themselves for the potential ramifications of the move. Meanwhile, MAGA politicians, like Marjorie Taylor Greene, applaud the release of the insurrectionists.
“I think they’ve served their time and I think they should all be pardoned and released from prison,” Greene said. “Some of these people have been given prison sentences: 10 years, 18 years and more. I think it’s an injustice. It’s a two-tiered justice system, and it’s time to end it.”
Greene’s support for the release of the rioters is not surprising. In 2022, the Republican house representative stated that if she organized the attack that they ‘would have won.’ She subsequently claimed that she was making ‘a sarcastic joke.’
In what was referred to as a “domestic terrorist attack” by many, many members of government, academia, and the media, over 30 DFW residents have been arrested as a result of the ensuing violence at the U.S. Capitol. Among those convicted were Little Elm’s Stewart Rhodes, leader of far-right group Oathkeepers, and Dallas’ Luke Coffee, a director and actor who appeared on ‘Friday Night Lights’ and was notably interviewed by Texas Monthly.
Many rioters, like Frisco’s Jenna Ryan, were only charged for misdemeanors and served relatively short sentences of 60 days in jail. Ryan notably bragged about avoiding arrest related to actions at the Capitol shortly before she turned herself in.
However, most insurrectionists have been handed sentences ranging from 2 to 5 years with charges relating to the assault of an officer. Rhodes of Oathkeepers, variably, was handed a sentence of 18 years with seditious conspiracy charges tacked on. Some cases, like that of Cedar Hill Proud Boy Steve Saxiones, are still ongoing.
Although not all were charged, many DFW Texans were present during the chaos on Jan. 6. This includes billionaire Monty Bennett, who was recently investigated in an exposè by special investigative reporter Steven Monacelli.
It’s expected by most outlets that Trump will go through with the promise, emphasizing it so strongly so as to promise it in the ‘first hour’ of his new term. Regardless, the move will no doubt empower his supporters to delve further into MAGA ideology, which embraces tenets of white supremacy, fascism, and discredited QAnon lore.
Below is a list of all DFW insurrectionists, along with their current status.
Jason Farris, Arlington – Sentenced to 18 months incarceration, 24 months of supervised release
Stephen Baker, Dallas – Sentenced to 9 days’ intermittent confinement, 24 months’ probation + $500 restitution
Luke Coffee, Dallas – Scheduled for sentencing on April 24, 2025
Sergio Jaramillo, Dallas – Arrested
Sebastian Reveles, Dallas – Arrested
Troy Smocks, Dallas – Sentenced to 14 months incarceration, 3 years supervised release
Aron Sanchez, Dallas – Scheduled for sentencing on Feb. 6, 2025
David Judd, Carrollton – Sentenced to 32 months’ incarceration 24 months’ supervised release + $2,000 restitution
Steve Saxiones, Cedar Hill – Arrested
Daniel Ray Caldwell, The Colony – Sentenced to 68 months incarceration, 36 months supervised release + $100 special assessment
Daniel Goodwyn, Corinth – Sentenced to 60 days’ incarceration 12 months’ supervised release + $500 restitution
Paul Thomas Brinson, Flower Mound – Arrested
Thomas John Ballard, Fort Worth – Sentenced to 54 months’ incarceration, 36 months’ supervised release + $2,000 fine
Jason Blythe, Fort Worth – Sentenced to 30 months in prison, 36 months of supervised release + $2,000 restitution
Nicholas Decarlo, Fort Worth – Sentenced to 48 months of incarceration, 36 months supervised release + $2,500 fine, $2,000 restitution
Jacob Garcia, Fort Worth – Sentenced to 24 months probation + $500 restitution, $10 special assessment
Katherine Schwab, Fort Worth – Sentenced to 45 days incarceration, 36 months probation + $500 restitution
David Brian Howard, Frisco – Arrested
Nathan Donald Pelham, Frisco – Ordered to pay $500 restitution
Robert Dennis, Garland – Sentenced to 36 months’ incarceration 24 months’ supervised release + $2,000 restitution
Larry Brock Jr., Grapevine – Sentenced to 18 months incarceration + $2,000 fine
Donald Hazard, Hurst – Sentenced to 57 months’ incarceration 36 months’ supervised release $2,000 restitution
Thomas Conover, Keller – Sentenced to 36 months’ probation, including 30 days at a residential reentry center, 60 hours of community service + $2,500 fine, $500 restitution
Stewart Elmer Rhodes III, Little Elm – Sentenced to 18 years in prison and 36 months of supervised release
Kevin Blakely, McKinney – Sentenced to 120 days in jail, 18 months of probation + $500 restitution
Philip Anderson, Mesquite – Arrested
Jason Hyland, Plano – Sentenced seven days in jail + $4,000 fine, $500 restitution
Joshua Johnson, Plano – Sentenced to 24 months’ incarceration 36 months’ supervised release + $2,000 restitution
Jenna Ryan, Plano – Sentenced to 60 days in jail + $1000 fine, $500 restitution
Scott Alan O’Brien, Ponder – Sentenced to 24 months probation + $1,000 fine, $500 restitution, $20 special assessment
Dana Jean Bell, Princeton – Sentenced to 17 months in prison, 36 months of supervised release + $2,000 restitution
Garrett Miller, Richardson – Sentenced to 48 months’ incarceration 36 months’ supervised release + $2,000 restitution
Kyle McMahan, Watauga – Sentenced to 19 months in prison, 12 months of supervised release, 100 hours of community service + $2,000 in restitution
Guy Refitt, Wylie – Sentenced to 87 months
