Cleveland Grover Meredith Jr., known as Cleve, received a presidential pardon for a January 6-related case only to face a fresh federal complaint over later online statements, according to Mediaite. He had planned to join the Capitol protests on January 6, 2021, but mechanical problems with his vehicle held him up, and he reached Washington after the violence had already stopped. The following day, he was still in the area when he contacted a family member.
A Department of Justice release states that on January 7, 2021, Meredith was at a hotel roughly one mile from the Capitol. The text he sent included a threat aimed at then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and specifically mentioned a desire to “put a bullet” in her head.
He later agreed to let agents search the truck and trailer he had parked at the hotel; inside the trailer they located a 9 mm semi-automatic pistol, an assault-style rifle fitted with a telescopic sight, roughly 2,500 rounds of ammunition, and several large-capacity magazines.
Complaint describes specific Facebook messages about judges and military plans
Meredith entered a guilty plea to interstate communication of threats and received a sentence of 28 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. President Donald Trump’s first-day clemency order in his second term covered Meredith along with nearly 1,600 other defendants whose cases stemmed from the Capitol events. Authorities have now filed a new complaint alleging additional threats made on Facebook after that pardon.
The New Yorker published a September 24, 2025, account of Meredith’s post-pardon activity that highlighted a series of Facebook posts containing strong political language.
A subsequent court filing, first noted by Seamus Hughes of Court Watch, says the FBI was tipped off to a publicly visible April 23, 2026, post on Meredith’s page. That post read, “ALL J6 Federal JUDGES will be EXECUTED!” and was accompanied by a smiling-face emoji and a raised middle-finger emoji.
Special Agent Richard Taylor wrote that the FBI had already spoken with Meredith twice – once around November 12, 2024, and again around August 14, 2025 – partly because of earlier posts that seemed threatening.
Taylor pointed to Meredith’s record of violent online rhetoric as part of the basis for the new case. The complaint contends Meredith “knowingly sent the message on April 23, 2026, and did so for either: (i) the purpose of issuing a threat, (ii) with knowledge that his post would be viewed as a threat, or (iii) while consciously disregarding a substantial risk that his post would be viewed as a threat.”
U.S. Magistrate Judge J. Elizabeth McBath of the Northern District of Georgia signed the complaint after determining there was probable cause to believe Meredith violated 18 U.S. Code Section 875(c). The filing lists the Facebook username, URL, and ID number associated with the account.
A page that matches those details is still online and publicly viewable, though the precise April 23 post itself was not located in a later search. Other pardoned January 6 defendants have also faced new criminal accusations after receiving clemency.
Meredith has labeled himself on the page a “J6NUMBER1 Winner of the J6 Challenge,” a reference to being one of the earliest people arrested in connection with the January 6 events. Additional posts on the same page continue to discuss the Capitol riot, Trump, judges, other political figures, QAnon, and various conspiracy claims.
On January 19, one post addressed the “Orange King” – apparently a reference to Trump – and asked whether Meredith could serve as “Head EXECUTIONER” as a “prize.” The message did not name any particular person who would be the target. An October 19 post named several federal judges who had issued rulings against Trump and against January 6 defendants, then warned that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth “has plans 4U.”
An October 30 message told readers to “relax” because “3 Days of Darkness” were coming “while the Military exterminates the Left so we can enter The Golden Age.” The following day, October 31, another post claimed Meredith had just spoken with Trump, who was described as “PO’d” at “THESE F–g RETARDED DUMBOCRATS.” The most recent entry on the page, posted at 4:26 a.m. on a Monday, referred to mental instability.
Published: Nov 3, 2026 02:30 pm