Pardoned J6er Sues Government for $18 Million for Alleged Abuse in Pretrial Detention

Police try to hold back protesters on the West Plaza of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Roberto Schmidt/AFP via Getty Images

A former Jan. 6 defendant who alleged torture and other abuse in custody is suing the federal government for almost $18 million.

The lawsuit by Ryan Samsel of Bristol, Pennsylvania, was filed late June 9 in federal court in Virginia, six months after he gave the government the legally required notice he was planning to litigate. He is seeking $17,980,000 from the federal government for physical and mental injuries suffered from January 2021 through January 2025.