Evergreen Reporter

A New Hampshire man was sentenced on August 1, 2024, after pleading guilty to felony and misdemeanor charges related to his conduct during the January 6, 2021 breach of the U.S. Capitol. His actions, along with those of others, disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to count the electoral votes for the 2020 presidential election.

Richard Zachary Ackerman, 22, of Salem, New Hampshire, was sentenced to 24 months of supervised release with ten months of home detention by U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Kelly. Ackerman had previously pleaded guilty to a felony offense of civil disorder and a misdemeanor offense of theft of government property.

According to court documents, on January 6, 2021, Ackerman traveled from New Hampshire to Washington D.C., sending text messages that read: “Will be going to see the action in these riots/protests” and “[i]f I get shot down there, just remember that I thought highly of you.”

Ackerman arrived in Washington D.C., made his way first to the Washington Monument and then to the U.S. Capitol building. At the Northwest Plaza of Capitol grounds, he picked up and wore a United States Capitol Police officer helmet labeled “U.S. CAPITOL POLICE.” He proceeded to the Lower West Terrace Tunnel where some violent attacks against law enforcement occurred.

By approximately 4:28 p.m., Ackerman joined a large crowd near the Tunnel entrance where he saw rioters fighting police and felt the effects of OC spray. At one point, he picked up a water bottle and threw it at officers in the Tunnel.

Court documents state that Ackerman returned to New Hampshire on January 7, 2021. He texted an individual saying he “got maced really bad,” adding that he was “right there in the eye of it,” and “right in the doorway of the building.” He also claimed he "stole a SWAT Team officer's helmet," referring to it as a “war trophy.” Specifically, Ackerman wrote: "I was there yesterday... &the helmet is my war trophy from the SWAT team."

The helmet was later recovered at his home in New Hampshire.

The FBI arrested Ackerman on June 20, 2023.

The case was prosecuted by The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and The Department Of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section with assistance from The U.S Attorney’s Office for The District Of New Hampshire.

The FBI’s Boston and Washington Field Offices investigated this case with support from The United States Capitol Police and The Metropolitan Police Department.

In total since January 6th more than over 1,470 individuals have been charged across nearly all states for crimes related involving breach assaulting or impeding law enforcement among them more than including over 530 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement felonies; . The investigation remains ongoing continues .

Anyone with tips can call contact authorities at 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.

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