The U.S. Department of Justice, under Attorney General Pam Bondi, has argued that President Donald Trump’s pardon covered grenades and stolen classified information found at the home of Jan. 6 defendant Jeremy Brown, a member of the Oath Keepers.
In a 2023 press release, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida revealed that Brown was sentenced to over seven years in prison after being convicted of possessing unregistered firearms and explosive grenades, as well as illegally storing those grenades and holding onto classified documents. The documents were discovered during a search of his home in 2021.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office also stated that Brown was ordered to forfeit the unregistered weapons, pay child support arrears, and a $525 special assessment.
According to trial evidence, Brown had served as a weapons sergeant in the Special Forces, which gave him access to M-67 fragmentation grenades. The classified documents found in his home included a Trip Report detailing sensitive U.S. Department of Defense intelligence tactics, with information that could have endangered a human source if released.
In a motion filed Thursday, Acting U.S. Attorney Sara Sweeney argued that Trump’s January 6 pardon, which applied to offenses related to the Capitol attack, should also cover the charges against Brown, Politico’s Kyle Cheney reported Tuesday.
“The pardon applies only to convictions for offenses related to events that occurred at or near the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021,” Sweeney said. She confirmed that after consulting with DOJ leadership, they believed the offenses in Brown’s case were covered by the pardon.
“Based on consultation with Department of Justice leadership, it is the position of the United States that the offenses of conviction in this case are intended to be covered by this Pardon,” Sweeney said.
The Jan. 6 riot was never mentioned in Brown’s six-day trial, although he was initially arrested on charges of trespassing at the Capitol.
When the FBI searched Jan. 6 defendant Jeremy Brown's home, they discovered illegal grenades, a sawed-off shotgun and classified information he retained after leaving the army.
Today, DOJ says Donald Trump's pardon for Jan. 6 issues covers all of that. pic.twitter.com/U1VmxOKfWr
— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) February 25, 2025
