A Cowlitz County man charged in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol has been pardoned following President Donald Trump’s sweeping clemency for the reported 1,500-plus people charged with crimes after the attack.
Ronald Schultz, 62, of Ariel was charged with four crimes in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, but was not tried before the Jan. 20 pardon. Like all the Jan. 6 pardons, Schultz's case was dismissed with prejudice, meaning it cannot be brought again.
Schultz told The Daily News he was ecstatic and thankful when he learned of the dismissal of his 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; and parading, demonstrating or picketing in a capitol building.
Schultz declined to comment further by deadline.
On Jan. 31, the Trump administration also fired prosecutors involved in the Jan. 6 criminal cases, according to the Associated Press, and started collecting a list of FBI employees who investigated the cases to review if "any additional personnel actions are necessary."
What footage shows
According to Schultz's affidavit, the FBI identified him using public YouTube videos taken during the riot, witnesses close to him, and his own Facebook page featuring photos of himself at the Capitol building. His Facebook photos showed him wearing a dark hooded jacket, gray pants, a tan Carhartt beanie, and black face covering — the same images also captured on security cameras inside the building during the riot, the document states.
The break-in occurred during a joint session of Congress as elected officials convened to certify the Electoral College vote count for the 2020 presidential election won by former President Joe Biden.
As stated in the federal complaint, a video posted to YouTube on Jan. 7, 2021, shows Schultz standing next to known members of the Proud Boys, a far-right group who assembled and later marched toward the U.S. Capitol building during the Jan. 6 attack.
Security camera footage from inside the U.S. Capitol Building also shows Schultz entering through the upper west terrace door at about 2:37 p.m., and heading to the second floor, the report continues. Around 2:45 p.m., Schultz is seen near the Statuary Hall, which features statues of prominent Americans. He is then seen in the Rotunda of the Capitol before exiting through the east doors two minutes later.
An arrest warrant was issued for Schultz in July.
The FBI became aware of Schultz during an investigation of Marc Anthony Bru, of Vancouver, who the FBI says is a Proud Boys member. Bru was later sentenced to six years in prison for his actions on Jan. 6, but also pardoned last month with all other Jan. 6 convictions.
Bru had a return flight booked with Alaska Airlines from Chicago to Portland for himself and a companion by the name of “Ronald Scholtz” on Jan. 10, 2021, Schultz's affidavit states. During this time, Bru was talking to a person with a phone number and an email address associated with Schultz, the report continues.
That same contact info was also used to rent a car in D.C. during the time of the Jan. 6 attack, according to the affidavit.
In August 2023, the FBI interviewed two people from an area where Schultz used to work, and the pair said they believed Schultz was in photos depicting the inside and outside of the U.S. Capitol Building during the Jan. 6 attack.
Bru was arrested in Vancouver by the FBI for entering the U.S. Senate Chamber and engaging in a standoff with Capitol Hill police on Jan. 6, 2021, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Columbia.
Six weeks later, Bru attempted to organize a sequel targeting the Portland municipal government, which involved attacking police, disregarding court orders and disrupting communication, the notice continues.
Bru expressed no remorse over his Jan. 6 action, even telling the presiding judge, “You could give me 100 years and I would still do it all over again,” the press release states.
