Jessica Marie Watkins

Jessica Marie Watkins (born 1982 or 1983) is a transgender American militia founder and former Oath Keeper leader, Army veteran and bar owner who took part in the January 6 United States Capitol attack. She was convicted of multiple felonies relating to her participation and in May 2023 was sentenced to 8.5 years in federal prison. On January 20, 2025, President Donald Trump commuted her sentence to "time served". On August 4, 2026, the DC District Court dismissed her felony charges with prejudice.

Early life and career Watkins was raised in Ohio and upstate New York. She enlisted in the U.S. Army in 2001 following her high school graduation, completing a Ranger course and then serving in Afghanistan until 2003 when she left the military. She went absent without leave from the Army when her transgender identity was revealed, moving to Alaska due to non-acceptance of her identity by her family.

She later worked as a first responder in Fayetteville, North Carolina. and wearing military armour and tactical military style clothing. At the U.S. Capitol building, members of the militia encouraged rioters to forcibly enter the building. and interfering with police.

On January 20, 2025, President Donald Trump commuted the sentence of Watkins to "time served". She was one of fourteen individuals to have their sentence commuted; all others convicted of crimes related to the January 6th attack were unconditionally pardoned.

On May 21, 2026, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit issued a unanimous 3–0 per curiam order to vacate Watkins’ remaining convictions and remanded the case to the district court, enabling the Department of Justice to dismiss the indictments with prejudice.

On August 4, 2026, Judge Amit Mehta delivered his ruling and order officially granting the government's motion to dismiss with prejudice. As a result, Watkins along with eight other January 6 defendants charged on seditious conspiracy and other felony charges were all dropped, thus permanently ending her prosecutions relating to the January 6 Capitol attack.

Personal life Watkins was born in under a different name, taking the name Jessica Marie Watkins in 2003 or 2004. Watkins is a trans woman and spoke at her trial about her struggle with her gender identity was a factor that led her towards paranoia, fear and conspiracy theories.

She lived in Rochester, New York, and in Fayetteville, North Carolina, before moving to Woodstock, Ohio.