Adam Ryan Obest

Adam Ryan Obest, 43, of Thurmont, Maryland, a National Guard veteran and former HHS employee who took the day off work, carried a large American flag on a metal flagpole to the Capitol's Lower West Terrace during the Jan. 6, 2021 riot, raised the flagpole overhead and brought it down toward a line of police officers, and attempted to pull a baton from an officer's hand before retreating into the crowd. He pleaded not guilty to all charges; following a three-day bench trial, he was found guilty on 8/2/2024 of civil disorder, assaulting officers, and an act of physical violence at the Capitol, along with several lesser included misdemeanors, while being acquitted of two counts involving a dangerous weapon. U.S. District Judge Amit P. Mehta sentenced him on 12/13/2024 to 18 months of incarceration, 36 months of supervised release, a $285 special assessment, and $2,000 in restitution.