Pardoned January 6 Participant Arrested Over Alleged Threats

A North Carolina man previously pardoned by Donald Trump after participating in the January 6 attack on the United States Capitol is facing fresh criminal charges. Federal authorities arrested Cleveland Meredith on Monday following allegations that he posted online messages threatening to kill federal judges who presided over cases connected to the 2021 insurrection.

According to court documents filed by prosecutors in Georgia, Meredith allegedly published a Facebook post on April 23 stating that all federal judges involved in January 6 trials would be executed. Investigators stated that the message constituted a true threat and reflected a pattern of online hostility. Prosecutors noted in detention filings that Meredith has engaged in threatening and harassing online behavior for at least sixteen months, including a referral to the Federal Bureau of Investigation in July 2025 for making a threat to an individual.

Pardoned January 6 participant Cleveland Meredith faces new charges over alleged threats to federal judges.

Last month, government officials stated that Meredith shared additional alarming statements concerning the midterm elections, referencing firing squads and predicting that upcoming elections would result in an absolute massacre. When interviewed previously by federal authorities regarding earlier online threats, Meredith acknowledged generating the statements but denied they carried threatening intent.

Meredith previously faced federal prosecution for his actions surrounding the 2021 Capitol riot. Court records show he drove from Colorado toward Washington DC but arrived after the main confrontation due to car trouble. Prior to the event, he had shared online strategies about surrounding the district and capturing opponents. After traveling to the capital, he sent text messages containing threats directed toward then House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Law enforcement subsequently tracked him to a nearby hotel, recovering a semi-automatic firearm, an assault-style rifle, and approximately 2,500 rounds of ammunition inside his trailer. In December 2021, a court sentenced him to 28 months in prison after he pleaded guilty to making threats against Pelosi.

In January 2025, Donald Trump issued a mass executive clemency order on his first day back in office, pardoning nearly 1,600 individuals who had been charged or convicted of seditious conspiracy related to the Capitol attack. Meredith was among those released under this directive. Legal proceedings regarding the latest charges against him are ongoing.

Why it matters The arrest highlights ongoing security concerns involving individuals previously granted executive clemency after participating in the 2021 Capitol riot. The case underscores challenges faced by federal law enforcement in monitoring online rhetoric and addressing alleged threats directed toward judicial officials.