Trump's Blanket Jan. 6 Pardons Let Rapists and Abusers Back Onto the Street
- Kayla Milton
- Jan 31
- 5 min read
Updated: Feb 12
But they're Americans, so I guess it's fine.
While many insurgents had no criminal record prior to committing crimes on January 6, dozens of defendants with prior convictions or pending charges for crimes including rape, sexual abuse of a minor, domestic violence, manslaughter, production of child sexual abuse material, and drug trafficking were set free.
Let's start with Matthew Huttle.
Matthew Huttle was recently shot and killed by law enforcement in Indiana during a traffic stop merely days after receiving a pardon for his 6-month sentence for his role in the Capitol riot.
Huttle had an extensive criminal history which included spanking his 3-year-old son so hard that he left bruises all over the child's neck and rear end, so severe he couldn't sit for a week. Huttle was sentenced to 2.5 years in jail for this.
He also had repeated arrests for DUIs. After his January 6 activities, Huttle received even more charges in Indiana for driving offenses.
Less than a week after he received a pardon from Trump, Huttle was fatally shot in an altercation with a sheriff's deputy, according to Indiana State Police.
Another fine person pardoned by Trump was Theodore Middendorf. He was convicted of "Predatory Criminal Sexual Assault of a Child." The victim was 7 years old. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 19 years in prison.
He is currently registered as a sex offender in the state and remains in custody on those charges. He had not yet been sentenced for his role in the Capitol riot when his case was dismissed following Trump's order.
Peter Schwartz had a criminal history of 38 prior convictions going back to 1991" when he was charged with assaulting police officers with pepper spray on Jan. 6.
His past crimes include a domestic violence incident where he threw a "lit cigarette at a victim" and struck her "near her eyes"; assault with a deadly weapon; "terroristic threats" for threatening police while under arrest for domestic assault; and a 2020 case of assaulting his wife by biting her on the forehead and punching her multiple times.
Given that history, prosecutors said, "The only reliable method of protecting the community from Schwartz in the future is to remove him from the community for as long as possible."
After being sentenced to more than 14 years to keep the community safe from him - he was freed after less than four years thanks to Trump's pardon.
David Daniel of Mint Hill, N.C., is charged with "Production of Child Pornography" and "Possession of Child Pornography," which allegedly "involved a prepubescent minor" and a child under 12 years old.
He is also charged with engaging in sexual acts with two young girls in his own family. It is also alleged he took and kept photos of the genitalia of the victims. His ex-wife and the mother of one of the victims appeared in court to request that he not be released." Daniel has pleaded not guilty.
He did however plead guilty to a charge of assaulting police officers on Jan. 6, but he had not yet been sentenced. Trump's Department of Justice dismissed that case.
Florida Man Daniel Ball threw an "explosive device that detonated upon around 25 officers" during the Capitol riot and also "forcefully" shoved police trying to protect the building. Ball also had a criminal record before his arrest which included "Domestic Violence Battery by Strangulation," "Resisting Law Enforcement with Violence," and "Battery on Law Enforcement Officer."
When federal agents arrested Ball on the Jan. 6 charges, they discovered that he owned a gun and ammunition, which was illegal given his criminal record. In addition to the Jan. 6 charges, a grand jury in Florida handed down a separate indictment against Ball in August 2024 for "Possession of a Firearm or Ammunition by a Convicted Felon."Ball was rearrested on the Florida gun charges. That case remains pending, and Ball has pleaded not guilty.
Andrew Taake of Texas pleaded guilty to assaulting police officers with bear spray and a "metal whip" on Jan. 6 and was sentenced to six years in prison.
He also had a prior criminal case that remains unresolved. Taake is wanted on 2016 charges of soliciting a minor online. He allegedly sent sexually explicit messages to someone he thought was a 15-year-old girl, but was, in fact, an undercover law enforcement officer, prosecutors alleged as part of his Jan. 6 case.
Kasey Hopkins, "has a lengthy and troubling criminal history" including a 2002 conviction for "forcible rape. During the attack, he choked her to the point of impairing her vision, banged her head into a wall, and urinated into the victim's mouth to humiliate her. When the victim attempted to flee, naked, the defendant caught up to her and threw her down on the ground.
Prosecutors alleged that Hopkins also had other prior convictions for "assault on a law enforcement officer;operating a motor vehicle without a license; and possession of a controlled substance.
Prior to the Jan. 6 riot, he discussed the possibility of a "Civil War" and proposed forming a group called "Proud Felons for Trump."
In 2004, Edward Richmond Jr. was serving in the U.S. Army when he shot a hand-cuffed Iraqi cow herder in the head with his rifle.
His criminal record also includes convictions for resisting officers, driving under the influence, as well as an arrest for domestic abuse.
For his role in the Jan. 6 attack, he stayed at the front of the mob fighting against police for almost two hours and struck officers with a baton.
Richmond was sentenced to more than four years in prison in his Jan. 6 case.
Jonathan Gennaro Mellis had a previous felony for "conspiracy to manufacture or sell methamphetamine" — which resulted in a 20-year prison sentence. He also had a history of arrests, which did not result in a conviction, including for domestic assault.
He used a large wooden stick to "repeatedly strike or stab" police officers on Jan. 6.
Benjamin Martin pled to obstruction of a public officer in 2003, a 2016 battery charge where he repeatedly struck his 14-year-old daughter, and a 2018 battery charge where Martin choked his girlfriend and dragged her back into the house after she tried to flee.
Martin was "on supervision" from his prior conviction when he took part in the Jan. 6 riot.
Because of his criminal record, Martin was prohibited from owning guns. When FBI agents arrested Martin, they found "eight firearms, including an AR‑15‑style rifle, multiple high-capacity magazines for the AR-15, and more than 500 rounds of ammunition." Martin contended that the firearms belonged to his fiancée and father-in-law.
Martin was sentenced to 13 months in prison for his Jan. 6 case and more than three years in prison on the gun case. He continues to deny all wrongdoing.
Edward Hemenway "has a serious criminal history, dating back to 2004. In 2006, Hemenway pleaded guilty to "Sexual Battery and Criminal Confinement" and was initially sentenced to three years in prison. "His probation was revoked, however, and he was re-sentenced to 5 years imprisonment.
On January 6 he breached the U.S. Capitol building while chanting "Stop the Steal!" and "Our house!"
Personally, my heart goes out to Jackson Reffitt, a young man who did the right thing and turned in his father to the FBI for his participation in the insurrection. he now fears for his life from retaliation of his father.
Fine people on both sides.
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