Nicholas Rodean

Nicholas Rodean, of Frederick, Maryland, took an Uber to the Jan. 6, 2021 "Stop the Steal" rally, brandished a hatchet, and used a flagpole to smash two large window panes next to a door in the Senate wing of the U.S. Capitol, becoming the 15th rioter to enter the building; he was photographed standing beside Jacob Chansley, the rioter known for his horned helmet and face paint, during a standoff with police, and was later fired from his marketing job after the images went viral. He pleaded not guilty to all charges; following a bench trial, he was found guilty of a felony count of destruction of government property and six misdemeanor offenses. A judge found that Rodean's Asperger's syndrome made him unusually susceptible to influence by assertive figures, a mitigating factor cited in sparing him prison time; he was sentenced to five years of probation, including 240 days of home detention, and a $2,048 fine.