WASHINGTON — A Texas man who posted evidence of his participation in the Capitol riot on at least three different social media platforms pleaded guilty Wednesday to a felony.
Nolan Bernard Cooke, 23, of Savoy, Texas, appeared before U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lamberth to plead guilty to one count of civil disorder. The charge carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
Cooke was identified last January after the FBI received multiple tips about his activities at the U.S. Capitol Building. The tips said Cooke had worn a GoPro around his neck during the riot and had posted multiple images and videos of himself on Snapchat, TikTok and Instagram. In one post, Cooke shared a CNN video showing him inside the Capitol with the caption, “I made the news.”
In another post, Cooke appeared beside his girlfriend with the caption, “I wouldn’t want anyone other than you with me to take on the revolution.”
Investigators said footage from Cooke’s GoPro, which he posted on TikTok, showed him grabbing and officer and pushing through a line of police.
Cooke eventually gave a voluntary interview to the FBI in which he said a relative had dropped him and his girlfriend off at the Capitol on Jan. 6. He also said he had brought one or more firearms on the trip, but had left those in the relative’s vehicle.
The terms of Cooke's plea deal call for him to pay $2,000 in restitution for damage done to the Capitol, and to cooperate with investigators if requested. He'll be sentence at 10 a.m. on June 10.
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