Pardoned Jan. 6 rioter arrested on felony gun charges in Upstate NY

NewsThis photo provided by the U.S. Department of Justice shows Thomas Sibick, of Amherst, N.Y., holding a U.S. Capitol Police Shield during the Jan. 6, 2021, riots at the Capitol in Washington, D.C.Justice DepartmentBy Geoff Herbert | gherbert@syracuse.comAn Upstate New York man who received a presidential pardon for his actions during the Jan. 6 Capitol riots has been arrested on felony gun charges.The Buffalo News reports Thomas F. Sibick, 40, of Amherst, is facing three charges of felony weapons possession after a domestic dispute. Amherst police officers said they three assault-style guns and three magazines filled with ammunition when they responded to a call at a Williamsville home on June 8.According to the Buffalo newspaper, Sibick was initially charged with misdemeanor criminal mischief for allegedly damaging a woman’s cellphone. Amherst police added the gun charges days later, the Erie County District Attorney’s Office said.Sibick has been held without bail since June 15. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges, his attorney told the Buffalo News.Additional details of the domestic incident have not been released. Sibick’s father told the publication that the woman involved has an order of protection against Sibick.Sibick was previously arrested and imprisoned for his actions during the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C. He pleaded guilty to stealing the badge and radio of a District of Columbia police officer who was beaten and hospitalized; the badge was later found buried behind Sibick’s home.Sibick was sentenced in 2023 to more than four years in prison. He was pardoned by President Donald Trump in January 2025 after serving less than half of his sentence.A report in June found at least 97 others among the 1,500 Capitol rioters pardoned by Trump have since been arrested or convicted of a crime. Those cases include charges of reckless homicide, grand larceny, stalking, child molestation, domestic violence, and plans to assassinate law enforcement officials and prominent politicians.In a letter to the judge, Sibick apologized and said he took full responsibility for his “uncivilized display of reckless behavior.”“It was an attack on the institutions of our democracy and not as some would make you believe legitimate political discourse. The attack was far from peaceful, my actions played a role that will follow me for the rest of my life,” Sibick wrote.When he was released from prison, Sibick changed his tune. He told WKBW that “it wasn’t an insurrection” and disagreed with a reporter calling it a violent attack. “There were certainly individuals that got out of control, but for the most part, it was a peaceful protest that took a turn for the worse,” Sibick claimed in January 2025.Geoff "DeafGeoff" Herbert is a Reporter and Content Supervisor for Advance Local. He covers a wide range of topics including entertainment, national news and trending topics, plus specializes in search engine...