Ryan Nichols

Public January 6 profile · ready to claim

Peter Francis Stager

January 6 case-file subject

Peter Francis Stager, identified by the FBI as AFO number 80, in an archived January 6 evidence frameDocumented editorial-use image
FBI AFO #80 image page preserved by Lawfare from the Internet Archive; display image cropped where needed, metadata stripped and normalized to JPEG for this archive Published for archive identification and reporting; reuse rights are not represented as cleared.Image source →

Peter Francis Stager is a truck driver from Conway, Arkansas. He drives the freight that keeps other people fed, and when federal agents came looking for him after January 6, he did not run. He turned himself in. That is in the record. WHO HE IS FACT - Stager is an American truck driver from Conway, Faulkner County, Arkansas, born in 1978 or 1979 (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette; Wikipedia). FACT - He voluntarily surrendered to law enforcement and was arrested January 14, 2021 - eight days after January 6, 2021, among the very first Arkansans taken into custody. DOCUMENTED INFERENCE - Voluntary surrender is a choice. Thousands of January 6 cases involved dawn raids and SWAT teams at family homes. Peter Stager walked in on his own. Whatever else the record says, that says something about the man. THE LEGAL FIGHT FACT - On February 16, 2023, Stager pleaded guilty to one felony count of assaulting, resisting or impeding officers with a deadly or dangerous weapon under 18 U.S.C. sections 111(a)(1) and 111(b), with aiding-and-abetting liability under 18 U.S.C. section 2. The remaining open counts were dismissed on the government motion. FACT - He was sentenced to 52 months in prison. FACT - He was released from federal custody on October 21, 2024 after serving his term (KARK; Arkansas Democrat-Gazette). FACT - On January 20, 2025, Peter Stager received a full and unconditional presidential pardon, one of the Arkansans covered by the January 6 clemency proclamation (Arkansas Advocate). He served nearly the whole sentence before the pardon ever came. He did not get out early. He got out, then got his name back. CASE RECORD Name: Peter Francis Stager Hometown: Conway, Faulkner County, Arkansas Occupation: truck driver Case number: 1:21-cr-00035-RC Court: U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia Judge: Rudolph Contreras Arrest: January 14, 2021, after voluntary surrender Plea: February 16, 2023 Sentence: 52 months; released October 21, 2024 Clemency: Full pardon, January 20, 2025 DOJ case page: https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/defendants/stager-peter Search terms people use to find this page: Peter Stager January 6, Peter Stager pardon, Conway Arkansas January 6 defendant, Arkansas J6 pardon, pardoned January 6 truck driver. This profile is unclaimed. If this is you - or your family - claiming it is free, forever.

The case file

On the record

Case number
1:21-cr-00035-RC
Court
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia
Judge
Rudolph Contreras
Prosecutor
Colleen D. Kukowski; Benet J. Kearney; Matthew Moeder
Defense attorney
Amy Collins; Rammy Barbari
Disposition
Guilty plea to one felony count under 18 U.S.C. §§ 111(a)(1) and 111(b), with aiding-and-abetting liability under 18 U.S.C. § 2; remaining open counts dismissed on the government’s motion; full pardon issued January 20, 2025.
Arrested
January 14, 2021
Plea
February 16, 2023
Sentenced
July 24, 2023

Charges

  • Obstruction of an official proceeding and aiding and abetting (charged in the third superseding indictment; dismissed)
  • Assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers using a dangerous weapon and aiding and abetting (Count Ten; guilty plea)
  • Civil disorder (charged; dismissed)
  • Entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon (charged; dismissed)
  • Disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon (charged; dismissed)
  • Engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon (charged; dismissed)
  • Act of physical violence in the Capitol grounds or buildings (charged; dismissed)

Sentence

52 months imprisonment with credit for time served since January 14, 2021; 36 months supervised release; $2,000 restitution; $100 special assessment

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Connection to United States v. Nichols

Peter Francis Stager appears in the record of United States v. Nichols through 26 shared documents on file below. The full case — timeline, people, documents — is public and free.

Walk the whole case →

Evidence on file

26 documents on file

Ryan13 documents

Ryan Nichols' own paperwork — grievances, motions, letters, cell notes.

Peter Stager — handwritten statement on IGP #20220201-685 irregularities and PREA

affidavit · Mar 29, 2022

Peter Stager — handwritten statement on IGP #20220201-685 irregularities and PREA

Handwritten witness statement (page 1 of 2) detailing irregularities with IGP grievance #20220201-685: written 1/31/22, submitted, shown received 2/1/22 yet not signed; document received 3/29/22 around 11:00 AM from Officer Pittman showing Major Sheila Marr signed off 3/21/22 (long delay). PREA investigation handoff questionable. Lost detail job. Visited 2/17/22 by PREA Compliance Specialist C. Savage; placed in isolation by Officer Pittman 2/7/22 with no privileges. PREA allegation reported 2/16/22 but received 2/1/22 — date/name/procedural irregularities documented.

Co-detainee9 documents

Corroborating witness statements and letters from fellow January 6 detainees.

U.S. Marshal IGP Report - Ricky Rice/Marvin Buckhalter/Chief Anderton (8/26/22)

exhibit · Aug 26, 2022

U.S. Marshal IGP Report - Ricky Rice/Marvin Buckhalter/Chief Anderton (8/26/22)

Handwritten witness statement by Ryan Nichols (DCDC# 376795) dated 8/26/22 documenting a meeting with U.S. Marshal Ricky Rice at DC DOC cellblock C2B. Confirms that the Inmate Grievance Process at both CDF and CTF is broken. References Mr. Marvin T. Buckhalter and Chief Anderton. Co-signed by witnesses Peter F. Stager (DCDC# 376784) and James McGrew (DCDC# 377892).

Witness statement: Ryan Nichols — Divontay Brown suicide attempt in SHU

affidavit · May 14, 2022

Witness statement: Ryan Nichols — Divontay Brown suicide attempt in SHU

Witness statement authored and signed by Ryan Nichols on 5/14/22 recounting that CPL Abdullah reported on Saturday May 14 at ~10:30am that Divontay Brown had hanged himself in SHU. Nichols had shared a medical safety cell with Brown in early May and reports LT Lancaster refused to release Brown from 22+ months in isolation despite repeated requests for help. Co-witnessed by Peter Stager, Kenny Harrelson, Jeff McKellop, Kelly Meggs.

Peter Stager — DOC Memorandum PREA Case Closure from C. Savage (3/28/22)

letter · Mar 28, 2022

Peter Stager — DOC Memorandum PREA Case Closure from C. Savage (3/28/22)

DC DOC official Memorandum to Stager, Peter DCDC 376784, C2B-8, from C. Savage, PREA Compliance Specialist, dated March 28, 2022. Subject: PREA Case Closure. Text: "Please be advised, your PREA allegation reported on 2/16/2022 was withdrawn by you. The PREA Compliance Specialist met with you on 2/17/2022 and during your interview, you withdrew your complaint and signed (attached) documentation confirming such." Initialed "CS" by Savage.

Peter Stager — original Informal Grievance Form IGP #20220201-685 (2/1/22, PREA allegation)

grievance_form · Feb 1, 2022

Peter Stager — original Informal Grievance Form IGP #20220201-685 (2/1/22, PREA allegation)

Original Informal Grievance Form (Response ID 160504), submitted 2022-01-31 15:49 by Peter Stager (DCDC# 376784, Unit C2B). Hand-annotated "IGP# 20220201-685". RECEIVED stamp: FEB 01 2022. Department: Staff Treatment. Offender: "Female officer". Complaint: came in from rec, sat due to maintenance servicing shower stalls; guard yelled "I need to ask her permission to shower" (Stager: has been in facility since 03/08/21 and never had to ask permission); then "the guard stared at the men showering like they were desert. This peeping tom like behavior is creepy and not a issue out side of her. The other female gaurds dont behave like this." Signed: Peter Stager, 02/01/22.

Peter Stager — request for copies for legal team Price Benowitz LLP, refs IGP #20220328-492

letter

Peter Stager — request for copies for legal team Price Benowitz LLP, refs IGP #20220328-492

Handwritten Peter Stager note requesting copies of documents to be sent to his legal team, Price Benowitz LLP, 409 7th Street NW, Suite 200, Washington DC 20004. Signed Peter F. Stager. Second paragraph: has additional documents from a write-up he was "falsely accused and convicted of" and appealed to the warden with no reply to date; tracked under IGP #20220328-492.

Peter Stager — signed closing: not destroying officers, fixing a broken system

affidavit

Peter Stager — signed closing: not destroying officers, fixing a broken system

Final page of Peter Stager handwritten witness statement. Closing paragraph signed by Peter F. Stager: "Im not trying to destroy the officers life or career. I just want to fix a broken system to prevent this type of injustice from happening to a detainee or inmate." Lone "I" begins next section. Pairs with scan 003 as continuation/closing of IGP #20220201-685 statement.

Govt response3 documents

Responses from DC DOC, the U.S. Marshals, and federal agencies.

Peter Stager — Major Sheila Marr DOC response to IGP grievance #20220201-685 (3/21/22)

letter · Mar 21, 2022

Peter Stager — Major Sheila Marr DOC response to IGP grievance #20220201-685 (3/21/22)

DC DOC response memo. TO: Inmate Peter Stager, DCDC# 376784. FROM: Major Sheila Marr, #2 Shift, dated 3/21/22 (initialed SM). SUBJECT: Response to Inmate Grievance. RE: Grievance #20220201-685. Text: "Upon review of your grievance 20220201-685, on this date the officer may have requested that you ask due to maintenance being present in an effort to prevent unnecessary injury to staff and inmates. The latter portion of your grievance will be referred to the PREA Coordinator."

Peter Stager — PREA Notice of Withdrawal signed 2/17/22 (the contested signature)

grievance_form · Feb 17, 2022

Peter Stager — PREA Notice of Withdrawal signed 2/17/22 (the contested signature)

DC DOC PREA Notice of Withdrawal form, Print Name/DCDC#: "Peter F Stager 376784", checked box: "I would like to withdraw the PREA complaint that was made. I am not withdrawing this complaint under duress or coercion but of my own free will." Date: 2-17-22. Marked "Inmate Copy" at top. Per scan 003 statement, Stager signed this without understanding what it was, while isolated and trying to regain privileges. Form warns refusal to sign would trigger PREA investigation moving forward — coercive design.

News1 document

Press coverage.

Official recordserved from the court docket

audio · Aug 16, 2023

Political Prisoner Podcast Episode 8 — Peter Stager and Daniel Christmann

Apple Podcasts lists this 1-hour, 4-minute episode as published August 16, 2023 and identifies Peter Francis Stager and Daniel Christmann as guests on Jake Lang’s Political Prisoner Podcast. The publisher description says Stager discussed Rosanne Boyland’s death and Christmann discussed his civil lawsuit. These are attributed descriptions of firsthand interview topics, not independently verified findings. Native audio, a complete transcript, exact quotations, and claim-level corroboration remain pending.