Court Finally Unseals Mysterious Case of January 6 Rioter

Samuel Lazar was sentenced for his participation in the Jan. 6 insurrection. Unlike most cases, Lazar’s was kept secret, with all related documents sealed — until now.

Who is Samuel Lazar?

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Lazar is a 37-year-old man from Ephrata, Pennsylvania. He was arrested in July 2021 due to his participation in the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 of the same year.

Unusual Case

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Lazar’s case was unusual in its secrecy. Many documents relating to trials are usually publicly accessible, but Lazar’s were sealed. 

One of Many

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As of the end of 2023, more than 1,200 individuals have been charged with federal crimes relating to the insurrection. Almost all of those cases have remained unsealed.

Seriously Unusual

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Randall Eliason, a criminal law professor and former federal prosecutor, told the Associated Press that he couldn’t remember being involved in a case as sealed as Lazar’s despite serving in Washington for more than a decade.

Why the Secrecy?

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Eliason speculated that there was “some kind of security concern about [Lazar] personally.” Another more likely option was that Lazar was “cooperating in some respect” that prosecutors wanted to keep secret from those Lazar was cooperating against.

Rejected Requests

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Media outlets repeatedly requested access to the sealed documents relating to Lazar’s case. In May, the judge overseeing the case rejected one such request.

Documents Released

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This week, however, court documents were unsealed in response to another request. They show that Lazar admitted to various offenses, including spraying a chemical irritant toward police officers defending the Capitol.

Lazar’s Actions

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The unsealed documents describe Lazar as “dressed in a camouflaged tactical vest, black hooded sweatshirt, and blue jeans. On his tactical vest was a patch that read, “Blessed be the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle.”

Ready for Battle

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“At times,” the documents continue, Lazar “wore green ski goggles to protect his eyes from chemical irritants deployed by law enforcement.” He also “had his face painted in a camouflaged design and carried a radio on his tactical vest.”

War Cry

PORTLAND, OREGON - NOV 17: Police in Riot Gear Holding the Line in Downtown Portland, Oregon during a Occupy Portland protest on the first anniversary of Occupy Wall Street November 17, 2011
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Lazar also admitted to egging on other rioters. He called for people to confront police officers, yelling, “Let’s get their guns!”

Lenient Sentence

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Federal prosecutors told the judge that Lazar has provided “valuable information” to authorities. His generally “fulsome” cooperation with the government prompted the prosecutors to ask for a shorter term than recommended by federal guidelines.

Leader or led on?

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Lazar’s attorney claimed that his behavior on Jan. 6 was “entirely out of character.” She blamed former President Trump, arguing that Lazar “blindly followed President Trump’s cry to ‘fight like hell to take back the country.’”

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