WASHINGTON — The Justice Department has announced that the presidential pardon granted to a military veteran, who faced charges related to the U.S. Capitol assault, also applies to his separate conviction for possessing stolen grenades and classified documents. This decision was revealed in a court document submitted on Tuesday.
Jeremy Brown, who dedicated 20 years to the U.S. Army, was sentenced to over seven years in prison in April 2023. His conviction came after federal agents found stolen Army grenades, an unregistered rifle, and a classified document during a search of his Florida residence. This search was part of the investigation into his suspected involvement in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. Despite his connection to the Capitol incident, which was still pending, President Donald Trump extended a pardon to Brown and numerous others implicated in the riot when he resumed office.
Only recently did the Justice Department acknowledge that Trump’s pardon is thought to encompass Brown’s Florida conviction as well. This conclusion followed discussions with Justice Department leadership, as stated in a court filing by the U.S. Attorney’s office. When approached for comments, both the Justice Department and White House remained unresponsive.
Similar conclusions have been made by the department in other cases where Capitol riot defendants faced separate charges. Initially, prosecutors believed that the pardon did not apply to the firearms discovered at Daniel Edwin Wilson’s Kentucky home. However, a Washington, D.C. court document indicated that there was later “further clarity” regarding the pardon extending to Wilson’s firearm-related conviction. Wilson had six guns and around 4,800 rounds of ammunition at his residence, which he was prohibited from having due to prior felony convictions.
In contrast, the Justice Department has made it clear that the pardons will not apply to at least two other Jan. 6 defendants charged with unrelated offenses. Prosecutors are pressing ahead with the case of a man found with firearms and large amounts of ammunition near former President Barack Obama’s Washington home in June 2023, despite dismissing charges related to the Capitol riot in light of the pardon. These firearms charges are considered separate from the matters addressed by the pardon.
Additionally, the pardon does not extend to an individual charged with conspiracy to murder federal employees, including planning attacks on law enforcement and FBI agents. Edward Kelley, convicted in November, awaits sentencing for these grave offenses, scheduled to be addressed in May.
