Ryan Nichols

Public January 6 profile · ready to claim

Joseph Elliott Zlab

Pardoned January 6 defendant

Joseph Elliott Zlab profile photograph from NPR's January 6 archiveDocumented editorial-use image
NPR's The Capitol Charges; database photo credit: Department of Justice (all named credit exceptions excluded) Published for archive identification and reporting; reuse rights are not represented as cleared.Image source →

Joe Zlab of King County, Washington, spent thirteen minutes inside the Capitol on January 6 — and he has spent the years since owning it, out loud. FACT: arrested in Everett, Washington in May 2021, Joseph Elliott Zlab pleaded guilty on January 6, 2022. FACT: on April 1, 2022 he was sentenced to three years of probation, 200 hours of community service, a $500 fine, and $500 restitution — no prison time. FACT: his own sentencing papers put him inside the building for just 13 minutes and stated that he repudiated the violence he saw that day. He did the community service. He finished the probation. FACT: on January 20, 2025, Joseph Zlab was pardoned under the presidential clemency proclamation covering January 6 cases. Then he did something rare — he sat down with Seattle's MyNorthwest and talked about all of it, honestly. THEIR ACCOUNT: 'I'm more humble now,' Joe Zlab said of the whole ordeal. Washington State is still home. Humility, it turns out, travels well. CASE RECORD Case No. 1:21-cr-389, U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Guilty plea January 6, 2022; sentenced April 1, 2022 to three years probation, 200 hours community service, $500 fine, $500 restitution — completed; pardoned January 20, 2025. 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-389
Court
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia
Disposition
Arrested 5/13 and initial appearance held the same afternoon. Information filed 6/7/2021. Pleaded guilty 1/6/22. Sentenced 4/1/22 to three years of probation, including 200 hours of community service, $500 fine, $500 restitution.
Plea
January 6, 2022
Sentenced
April 1, 2022

Charges

  • Knowingly Entering or Remaining in any Restricted Building or Grounds without Lawful Authority
  • Violent Entry and Disorderly Conduct on Capitol Grounds

Sentence

three years of probation, including 200 hours of community service, $500 fine, $500 restitution

Public knowledge · no paywall

This profile is free for anyone to read.

Sign-in is only required to claim ownership, manage a claimed profile, or suggest a factual correction. Reading and sharing the public record never requires an account.

A free account is required for either action so submissions remain tied to a real person and can be reviewed.

2views0shares

Tap how this hits you — no signup, everyone sees the count

Connection to United States v. Nichols

Joseph Elliott Zlab appears in the record of United States v. Nichols. The full case — timeline, people, documents — is public and free.

Walk the whole case →

Evidence on file

No scans linked yet

No scans linked to this entry yet. Curating is ongoing — check back.