KUAR | By Debra Hale-Shelton
On the first day of his second presidency, Donald Trump pardoned all eight Arkansans among more than 1,500 of his supporters convicted for their roles in the Jan. 6, 2021, riots at the nation’s Capitol.
Among them were the state’s two highest-profile defendants, Richard “Bigo” Barnett, who became notorious for a photo taken in then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office, and Peter Stager, who admitted to beating a police officer with a flagpole.
Barnett, 64, of Gravette was sentenced to 54 months in prison after a federal court jury convicted him in May 2023. He has been incarcerated in a prison in Seagoville, Texas. He wasn’t scheduled for release until July 17, 2026.
U.S. District Court For The District Of Columbia
This video still from Jan. 6, 2021, shows Conway resident Peter Stager holding a U.S. flag. He pleaded guilty in 2023 to assaulting a police officer. He is among eight Arkansans pardoned by President Donald Trump on Jan. 20, 2025, for their roles in the 2021 riots at the U.S. Capitol.