Ryan Nichols

Public January 6 profile · ready to claim

Adam Ryan Obest

Pardoned January 6 defendant

Adam Ryan Obest profile photograph from NPR's January 6 archiveDocumented editorial-use image
NPR's The Capitol Charges; database photo credit: Department of Justice (all named credit exceptions excluded) Published for archive identification and reporting; reuse rights are not represented as cleared.Image source →

Adam Ryan Obest of Thurmont, Maryland served in the National Guard and worked for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (FACT — WUSA9). On January 6 he carried a large American flag on a metal pole to the Lower West Terrace, and prosecutors charged him with weapon-enhanced felonies over what he did with it (FACT — DOJ). Here is what mattered at trial: Judge Amit Mehta heard all the evidence at a bench trial and ACQUITTED him of the dangerous-weapon counts (FACT — WUSA9). He was convicted of civil disorder and of assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers — without the weapon findings. Prosecutors asked for four years. The court gave 18 months, plus 36 months of supervised release — less than half the government's request (FACT — WUSA9; DOJ). On January 20, 2025, President Trump's clemency proclamation issued full pardons for January 6 convictions, including cases like Obest's (FACT). A Guard veteran and federal employee who took a day off work to go to a rally (FACT — WUSA9). One afternoon changed everything that came after. THE CASE RECORD Case No. 23-mj-125, U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Complaint filed 6/9/23. Arrested 6/13/23. Convicted at bench trial of civil disorder and assault counts; acquitted of dangerous-weapon charges. Sentenced to 18 months in prison and 36 months of supervised release. This profile is unclaimed. If this is you — or your family — claiming it is free, forever.

The case file

On the record

Case number
23-mj-125
Court
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia
Disposition
Complaint Filed - 06/09/2023 Arrested - 06/13/2023

Public knowledge · no paywall

This profile is free for anyone to read.

Sign-in is only required to claim ownership, manage a claimed profile, or suggest a factual correction. Reading and sharing the public record never requires an account.

A free account is required for either action so submissions remain tied to a real person and can be reviewed.

6views0shares

Tap how this hits you — no signup, everyone sees the count

Connection to United States v. Nichols

Adam Ryan Obest appears in the record of United States v. Nichols. The full case — timeline, people, documents — is public and free.

Walk the whole case →

Evidence on file

No scans linked yet

No scans linked to this entry yet. Curating is ongoing — check back.