CLEVELAND — On Monday evening, President Donald Trump signed a proclamation that would enable all individuals charged in connection to the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, to receive a pardon or see their sentences commuted.
Court records show 1,583 individuals have been federally charged with crimes tied to the attack on the U.S. Capitol, causing nearly $3 million worth of damage to the building that day.
That includes 18 individuals from Northeast Ohio, three of which were still serving time in prison. Federal Bureau of Prisons officials confirmed to News 5 that over the past 24 hours, all three individuals have been released from prison:
- Ryan Swoope of Lake County was given a “Be on the Lookout” profile on the FBI's website after a video showed him spraying officers with what appeared to be a chemical irritant. Swoope was slated to be released in August 2027.
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- Prosecutors argued Clifford Mackrell of Wellington pushed back barricades near the Capitol entrance and was later seen striking a Capitol officer and grabbing his mask. He was scheduled to be released from prison in January 2026.
- His father, Michael Mackrell, pleaded guilty to a felony offense of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers. Court documents detailed how Mackrell pushed back barricades with other rioters, and Mackrell wrapped his arm around the neck of a U.S. Capitol Police officer and threw the officer to the ground. Mackrell's release date was one month later than his son's.
Additionally, four individuals from Northeast Ohio were awaiting their sentences after pleading guilty. The remaining cases have already been adjudicated, and individuals have completed their prison sentences.
Trevor Cain of Aurora was set to be sentenced later this month after pleading guilty on a misdemeanor charge.
"For him to do it that quickly was pretty cool," Cain told News 5. "[January 6th] completely upended my life. It was an unauthorized tour of the capitol I like to call it."
Court paperwork details how Cain walked around outside and inside the Capitol, away from the violence that occurred.
Cain told News 5 he does not regret making the trip to Washington D.C.
"Absolutely not," he said. "Now with the victory of Donald Trump and 76 million Americans saying where we want the country to go, I feel completely vindicated."
Cain did detail how his woodworking business took a huge hit following January 6th once people realized he was there.
"I’m just so glad that this can be over for Jan 6ers as a whole and move on and heal as a country," Cain said. "The last 24 hours have been just awesome getting the news being pardoned by the President himself."
President Trump is delivering results from Day One—and he’s just getting started!
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) January 21, 2025
🇺🇸 42 Executive Orders, Memoranda, & Proclamations
🇺🇸 115 Personnel Actions
🇺🇸 Over 200 Executive Actions
🇺🇸 60 Minutes of Press Q&A
Promises Made, PROMISES KEPT. pic.twitter.com/jpRF390zgA
Earlier this month, News 5 spoke with Justin Smith, a Brunswick native, about what a pardon could mean for him.
"My charge is a misdemeanor, so a pardon isn’t going to do me really good," he said.
Smith pleaded guilty to that misdemeanor in 2023 and was sentenced to three years of probation.
"I was home-schooled growing up, so I never had the opportunity to go down to D.C. on a school trip," he said. "So I wanted to go down and experience it myself as an adult for the first time."
Court records state that Smith only spent 10 minutes inside the Capitol walking around that day.
"I didn’t damage anything, I didn’t hurt anybody, I didn’t steal anything, I was just there," he said. "You can feel the stench in the air, there’s pepper spray everywhere. They’re throwing sound grenades. You can hear loud booms inside the building."
Smith ended up serving four months behind bars in 2024 after violating his probation.
"It doesn’t even matter [whether I receive] the pardon, I’d like to go and shake [President-elect Trump's] hand," Smith said. "I was down there fighting for his cause. I still, to this day, will fight for his cause."
But looking back, Smith said he regrets the trip to Washington, D.C.
"A lot of mistakes," Smith said. "A lot of mistakes. I was young. I was dumb. I’m only 23 [years-old now]."
Regarding the idea of a blanket pardon for everyone charged from that day, Smith told News 5 at the time that he opposed the idea.
"For some people, I do believe [they should be pardoned,]" Smith said. "For some people, I do believe they did get excessive down there. There were people who went down there intending to harm. Those people, I believe, should be charged."
Over the past four years, federal agents tapped into photos, videos, and cell phone location records to help identify criminals from that day.
Clay LePard is a special projects reporter at News 5 Cleveland. Follow him on Twitter @ClayLePard, on Facebook Clay LePard News 5 or email him at Clay.LePard@WEWS.com.
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