3 Years After Jan. 6 Insurrection Where Do Wisconsin Cases Stand?

Tear gas outside the United States Capitol on 6 January 2021. Photo by Tyler Merbler from USA, (CC BY 2.0), via Wikimedia Commons

Saturday marks the three-year anniversary of the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

Since then, federal authorities have filed charges against more than a thousand people across the country in connection with the attack. That includes nearly a dozen people arrested in Wisconsin.

Of the 11 men arrested here, nearly half have their cases pending. The rest resulted in guilty pleas, including one jail sentence.

Below is a summary of the cases involving people arrested in Wisconsin and where each stands, using information from sources including federal court records, the U.S. Department of Justice and NPR’s database of Jan. 6 cases. The age listed for each defendant reflects the age of the person when charges were filed.

Jonathan Bonney, 38​​​​​​

Charges: Entering and Remaining in a Restricted Building or Grounds; Disorderly and Disruptive Conduct in a Restricted Building or Grounds; Disorderly Conduct in a Capitol Building; Parading, Demonstrating, or Picketing in a Capitol Building

Status: Pending

The Hayward man was arrested in April 2023.

Joseph Cattani, 40

Charges: Assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers; civil disorder; entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds; disorderly conduct in a Capitol building; parading, picketing and demonstrating in a Capitol building

Status: Pending

Cattani was arrested in September 2023 in St. Francis, Wisconsin. Videos show Cattani pulling on an officer’s face shield as the officer’s head twists, before Cattani forced his way into the Capitol building, court records say.

Michael Fitzgerald, 42

Charges: Obstruction of law enforcement during civil disorder; knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority; violent entry and disorderly conduct on capitol grounds

Status: Pending

Fitzgerald was arrested in April 2021 in Madison, Wisconsin. After being indicted, he pleaded not guilty to all charges in May 2021. According to court records, Fitzgerald was at the front of a group of rioters who used a podium to push against officers. Video also shows the group of rioters “punching law enforcement officers, throwing objects at law enforcement officers, and attempting to hit law enforcement officers with a flagpole,” court records allege.

Riley D. Kasper, 23

Charges: Civil disorder; assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers using a deadly or dangerous weapon; entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon; disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon; engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon; act of physical violence in the Capitol grounds or buildings

Status: Pending, awaiting sentencing

Prosecutors accused Kasper of spraying pepper spray at officers. He was arrested in March 2022 in Ashland, Wisconsin, and later pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers.

Kevin Daniel Loftus, 52

Charges: Entering and remaining in a restricted building; disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building; violent entry and disorderly conduct in a Capitol Building; parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building

Status: Sentenced in March 2022 to three years of probation, including 60 hours of community service; ordered to pay $500 restitution

Loftus was arrested in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Loftus pleaded guilty to parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building. The other charges were dismissed.

Abram Markofski, 24

Charges: Entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds; disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds; violent entry or disorderly conduct; parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building

Status: Sentenced in 2021 to two years probation, $500 restitution and a $1,000 fine.

Markofski was arrested in La Crosse, Wisconsin. He pleaded guilty to one charge of parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building. The other charges were dismissed. Markofski is a former member of the Wisconsin National Guard. He received general discharge in July 2022, according to information provided by a Wisconsin National Guard spokesperson.

David Charles Mish, Jr., 42

Charges: Entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds; disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building; violent entry or disorderly conduct in a Capitol building; parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building

Status: Sentenced in November 2021 to 30 days in jail and $500 restitution.

Mish was arrested in West Allis, Wisconsin. Mish pleaded guilty to parading, demonstrating or picketing in a capitol building, and the other charges were dismissed.

Joshua Munn, 23

Charges: Knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority; disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds; disorderly conduct in a Capitol building; parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building

Status: Sentenced in October 2022 to three years probation and 60 hours community service. He was also ordered to pay $500 in restitution.

Munn was arrested in July 2021 in Melrose, Wisconsin. He pleaded guilty to parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building. The other charges were dismissed.

Brandon Nelson, 29

Charges: Entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds; disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds; violent entry or disorderly conduct; parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building

Status: Sentenced in October 2021 to two years probation, $500 dollars in restitution, a $2,500 fine and 50 hours of community service

Nelson was arrested in Middleton, Wisconsin. Nelson pleaded guilty to parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building. The other charges were dismissed.

Charles R. Walters, 37

Charges: Destruction of government property; entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds; disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds; disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds; parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building

Status: Pending

The Sparta resident was arrested in September 2023.

Conlin Weyer, 21

Charges: Entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds; disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds; disorderly conduct in a Capitol building or grounds; parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building

Status: Sentenced in October 2023 to 18 months of probation, $500 restitution and a $500 fine

Weyer was arrested in May 2022 in Plover, Wisconsin. He pleaded guilty to entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds. The other charges were dismissed. In a statement provided to WPR, Weyer’s lawyer, Stephen Brennwald, said Weyer expressed “true remorse” at his sentencing and was grateful to the judge for not imposing jail time.

“Conlin, like so many others three years ago, cared very deeply about his country, and about democracy,” the statement read in part. “Unfortunately, back then he was receiving his information from media outlets that were sowing disinformation about the election of 2020. As a result, he went to Washington, D.C. on January 6 and tried to make his voice heard.  Fortunately, after a period of time he became aware of the truth about the election, and he realized that he had been fooled by the disinformation that was being spread by nefarious actors.  Thus, he eventually came to accept reality – that Joe Biden had won the 2020 election fairly.  He was extremely embarrassed about having been duped.”

Listen to the WPR report here.

Three years after the Jan. 6 insurrection, where do Wisconsin cases stand? was originally published by Wisconsin Public Radio.