A 19-year-old who stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, pleaded guilty to his role in the breach, and apologized for what he called an "embarrassing" chapter of his life now works as a political appointee at the Defense Department.
Elias Irizarry entered the Capitol through a broken window while carrying a metal pole, made his way into a conference room and the rotunda, and later climbed scaffolding on the West terrace to direct other rioters up the stairs, according to federal prosecutors. He spent many hours in the crowd after arming himself and watched as other rioters attacked police officers.
At the time of the riot, Irizarry was a student at The Citadel military college in South Carolina. He pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of entering and remaining in a restricted building and was sentenced to 14 days in jail. In a five-page letter to U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan before sentencing, Irizarry wrote that he had "brought great shame upon myself, my family, and, unfortunately, my country" and called the day "without a doubt one of the most embarrassing days in modern American history."
His appointment to the Pentagon came after President Donald Trump pardoned him alongside hundreds of other January 6 defendants during his first day back in office in 2025. Acting Pentagon press secretary Joel Valdez confirmed Irizarry's position in a statement, calling him "a qualified, patriotic young professional" and saying the department is "proud to have him as a political appointee." Valdez did not disclose the specific job title or duties.
Author Sarah Mitchell: "The speed at which a convicted Capitol rioter moved from jail cell to Pentagon payroll shows just how far Trump's clemency has reached into government, regardless of what judges or prosecutors thought was appropriate punishment."
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