Two years ago, a group of Trump supporters laid siege to the Capitol. In the months since the attack, the US government has arrested and charged nearly 1,000 people and handed out hundreds of jail sentences and fines to those who pleaded guilty.
The insurrection launched an unprecedented federal investigation that has seen prosecutors look at hotel and phone records, as well as hundreds of social media posts, to track down the thousands of people inside and outside the Capitol that day.
Most of the rioters had little to hide about their actions on January 6, 2021. Several gave interviews to the media in the immediate aftermath, seemingly identifying themselves on camera, while others were photographed in bizarre mid-riot activities that made them easy targets.
Insider believed that some of the accused rioters deserved their own special list.
Capitol rioters got caught in the least surprising way.
The accused rioters were in trouble with the law because of their love for each other.
Andrew Taake told a woman on a dating app that he was among the insurrectionists from the very beginning.
The unnamed woman contacted the FBI on January 9, 2021, after the pair's online conversation had ended. He claimed that he was the first person to be sprayed outside of the Capitol.
He was arrested in July 2021 on several charges related to the attack, including assault, resisting, or obstructing certain officers, and obstruction of law enforcement. Taake is awaiting trial after pleading not guilty to all charges.
Robert Chapman, of New York, was charged with four counts related to the Capitol riot after the FBI received a tip off from a user of the dating app Bumble.
The anonymous woman contacted the FBI with photos of her conversation with Chapman in which he blatantly admitted: "I did storm the Capitol" and "I made it all the way to Statuary Hall" Chapman told his match that he had talked to reporters at The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal.
The woman said they weren't a match.
Chapman said that he thought not.
Chapman was sentenced to three months of home confinement after pleading guilty to a picketing charge.
The accused rioters were brought down by their families.
The notorious militia man who was sentenced to seven years in prison on five felony charges earlier this year after his teenage son turned him in to the FBI in defiance of his dad's own direct threats to keep his mouth shut was there.
The case of the Pennsylvania man who prosecutors say was filmed shattering a window in the Speaker's Lobby and subsequently arrested after an unnamed relative sent a tip to the FBI is a good example. The Justice Department said that Alam pleaded guilty to all charges in December of 2021.
Thomas Fee, a retired New York City firefighter, sent a text to his girlfriend's brother, who was a federal agent with the US Diplomatic Security Service, and then took a picture of himself inside the Capitol rotunda during the riot.
Fee sent a video of himself inside the building where other rioters could be heard yelling "Pelosi" and "tyranny" to his brother. After he was able to retrieve the messages, the special agent sent them to the Department of Security. The evidence was sent to the terrorism task force.
Fee was sentenced to 24 months of supervised release earlier this year after turning himself in.
Richard Michetti had to learn the hard way the consequences of being in love with another person.
The Pennsylvania man was sentenced to nine months in prison after his ex-girlfriend turned him in to the FBI. The woman blew Michetti's cover after he called her a "moron" for not supporting Trump.
Michetti told his ex-girlfriend that she was a moron if she couldn't see the election. Do you think we live like kings because nobody sacrificed anything?
The FBI received text messages and videos from Michetti's ex-girlfriend after the siege ended. Prosecutors said that she identified him in other images that showed him inside the building.
According to court documents, a member of Glenn Allen's church prayer group turned him in to the FBI. Heboasted of his active participation in the attack and sent photos of his attendance to a group of other prayer group members.
The prayer group member who tipped off investigators did so weeks after the insurrection, according to prosecutors.
In August 2021, the California man pleaded not guilty to the charges against him.
According to court documents, Jerry Daniel Braun's driver turned him in.
According to court documents, the FBI tipped off the authorities about the California man's arrest in April 2022.
Braun is accused of being involved in the insurrection after a driver from the Washington, DC area contacted the FBI to report a rioter. The driver told investigators that one of his passengers had torn down the barricade at the US Capitol. According to court records, Braun hasn't entered a plea.
According to court documents, a portion of Braun's ride was captured on video by a dash cam and the driver talked to Braun about the siege.
The driver wanted to know if it had been violent all day.
Braun said that it began when he got there. I ripped down the barricades.
The driver wanted to know if he did. Why?
Braun said that they could get to the capitol.
The driver wanted to know how that would work out for him.
Braun said it looked like Biden was going to be the president.
The American insurrection gave some rioters a chance to drum up business.
The Texas real estate agent who has made headlines for her post-riot behavior and commentary posted a video on January 6 in which she promoted herself.
Life of death is what we're going to go in there for. She said in the video that it didn't matter. "Y'all know who to hire for your real estate agent?"
Ryan continued to sell herself in another video from inside the building. I'm not doing anything to change things. This is what I will do when I sell your house.
Ryan was sentenced to 60 days in prison earlier this year for parading.
Troy Faulkner was sentenced to five months in prison earlier this year after he pleaded guilty. Faulkner was wearing a jacket while storming the Capitol in January of 2021.
FBI agents identified him thanks to the promotional outerwear. Faulkner used the back of his jacket to advertise his painting business and phone number.
The official mascot for the January 6 insurrection was dressed in a headdress, horns, and red, white, and blue face paint.
One of the most recognizable faces is Chansley. He was photographed many times throughout the day walking with his bullhorn and flag pole. He was arrested in his hometown of Phoenix, Arizona, three days later.
Didn't he make himself the face of the riot? The judge sentenced Chansley to 41 months in prison after he pleaded guilty to obstruction.
Several other bizarrely-dressed rioters have since been arrested and sentenced.
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