Illinois Man Guilty in Jan. 6 Capitol Siege

Thomas B. Adams Jr., 41, of Springfield, Illinois, stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, as part of a mob hell-bent on stopping the certification of electoral votes. He didn’t come in peace. Adams plunged into the chaos on the west side of the building, breached a fire door littered with broken glass, and marched past Capitol Police trying to hold the line. By 2:48 p.m., he was inside — and headed straight for the Senate Chamber.

On January 31, 2023, Adams was found guilty in a stipulated trial in Washington, D.C., of felony obstruction of an official proceeding and aiding and abetting entry into a restricted building, plus the misdemeanor charge of remaining in a restricted area. U.S. District Court Judge Amit Mehta presided. Sentencing is set for June 16, 2023. The felony charge carries a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison and possible financial penalties. The judge will weigh federal sentencing guidelines and other legal factors before imposing punishment.

Adams walked through the Parliamentarian Door — forced open by rioters using window-washing equipment, he later told the FBI — and ignored officers attempting to block the surge. He moved past Vice President Pence’s ceremonial office and entered the Senate Chamber through a second-floor door at 3:04 p.m. He knew he wasn’t authorized. There, in the Senate well, Adams roamed among the desks of elected officials, snapping photos with his cellphone like a tourist in a war zone. At 3:11 p.m., officers forced him out through the Senate Carriage Door — a detail he confirmed to investigators.

Hours after being expelled, Adams bragged to a reporter: he’d traveled from Springfield, Illinois, for President Trump’s rally and claimed he was driven by the false narrative that the election had been stolen. On February 4, 2021, during an FBI interview, he admitted his group planned to “peacefully occupy” the Capitol — possibly for days. “We didn’t know if they were going to be out there for one day, five days, or a week,” Adams said. The so-called plan wasn’t peaceful. It was insurrection.

Adams was arrested April 13, 2021, back in Springfield. The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, with support from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of Illinois. The FBI’s Springfield and Washington Field Offices led the investigation, aided by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department. This is not a fringe footnote — it’s one conviction in a sprawling crackdown.

Two years after the Capitol breach, more than 950 people across nearly every state have been arrested in connection with the attack. Over 284 face charges for assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The investigation is still active. The message is clear: you don’t storm the heart of American democracy and walk away clean. Anyone with information is urged to call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.

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