Overview
- Wilson was released Friday evening after the pardon cleared a separate firearms conviction that kept him imprisoned despite his earlier Jan. 20 pardon.
- The Justice Department first argued the initial pardons did not cover the gun case, then reversed course after receiving stated clarification on intent, drawing criticism from U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich.
- Investigators found six guns and roughly 4,800 rounds of ammunition at Wilson’s home during the Jan. 6 probe, and his prior felony record made possession illegal.
- Wilson had been sentenced in 2024 to five years for conspiring to impede or injure officers, with prosecutors citing contacts with Oath Keepers and Three Percenters and messages suggesting preparation for violence.
- A White House official said the search flowed from Jan. 6 events and should not have occurred, and other defendants have seen similar outcomes, including the reported release of Jeremy Brown after legal arguments extended his pardon to unrelated charges.