(U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia)

‘Has anybody checked Mar-A-Lago?’: Trump-pardoned Capitol rioter now fugitive in child solicitation case

Trigger warning: Mentions of child solicitation crimes
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Andrew Taake stormed the Capitol, attacked cops, and got a six-year sentence. Then Trump pardoned him. However, Taake wasn’t just a violent rioter, he had an outstanding charge for allegedly soliciting a minor. Now, instead of sitting in prison, he’s disappeared, and law enforcement is trying to bring him back.

A safe haven for Capitol rioters?

A judge sentenced Taake to six years in prison after he pleaded guilty to assaulting police officers during the January 6 attack. Investigators identified him through dating app messages (yes, Bumble of all places), where he bragged about attacking cops with his metal whip. Classic criminal mastermind behavior.

Here is a link to view his lengthy court history involving the riot.

Long before he stormed the Capitol, according to a statement given to Law&Crime, Taake had been charged with the online solicitation of a minor in 2016. According to prosecutors, he had engaged in explicit conversations with someone he believed to be a 15-year-old girl and attempted to meet up with her. 

Fortunately, that “teen” was an undercover officer, and he was arrested. However, instead of serving time for that charge, he posted bail and was awaiting trial when he decided to take a little detour to Washington, D.C., on January 6.

A broken system at work for this Capitol rioter

What’s most alarming about this situation isn’t just Taake’s history, it’s how easily he was allowed to slip through the cracks. The Harris County District Attorney’s office knew he had an outstanding warrant. They even sent a request to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, explicitly asking them to hold him so he could face justice in Texas. That request was sent five days before his release. And yet, when Trump’s pardon cleared his January 6 conviction, Taake was let go anyway.

The Federal Bureau of Prisons has remained tight-lipped about why they ignored the hold request. Their only explanation is that they followed the pardon’s orders as written, which called for the immediate release of the January 6 defendants. But here’s the problem: Trump’s pardon only covered crimes related to the Capitol riot. It did not apply to any other outstanding charges. So why was Taake allowed to walk free when authorities knew he had to answer for an entirely separate crime?

This wasn’t a clerical error. This was negligence at best, and at worst, a deliberate decision to prioritize a presidential directive over public safety.

The consequences

In a political climate where Trump has repeatedly referred to the January 6 rioters as “hostages” and “patriots,” it’s not hard to see how a case like this could happen. By issuing a mass pardon without any review of individual cases, Trump didn’t just absolve people of their past crimes he also created an avenue for violent offenders and dangerous individuals to be released with no accountability. People are continuously pointing this out.

The January 6 rioters were not all harmless protesters who simply “got caught up in the moment.” Many of them, including Taake, were found guilty of violent crimes. He wasn’t just wandering around the Capitol, he actively assaulted police officers. That alone warranted his six-year prison sentence. The fact that he had an outstanding child solicitation case waiting for him in Texas only makes his release even more alarming.

What happens next?

The Harris County District Attorney’s office has made it clear that they are actively searching for Taake. But tracking down a fugitive takes time and resources. If the federal system had worked as intended, federal authorities would have immediately transferred Taake to Texas authorities upon his release. Instead, he’s now evading law enforcement, with no clear timeline for his capture.

Given the nature of his crimes, it’s a terrifying thought. Someone accused of attempting to exploit a minor should never have had the opportunity to disappear, yet here we are. We must consider the possibility that the very same extremist networks that helped coordinate January 6 are now sheltering him.

We’ve already seen how the MAGA movement rallies around those convicted for their involvement in the insurrection. Would it really be shocking if someone like Taake found refuge among Trump’s most diehard supporters? Which brings me to a post I saw on X:

For now, all we can do is wait and see if law enforcement catches up with him. But one thing is clear, this isn’t the last time Trump’s reckless pardons will come back to haunt us.


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Sara Large
Contributing Writer
Sara Large (she/they) is a contributing writer at The Mary Sue, specializing in horror, thriller, and true crime. A proud advocate for neurodiversity and inclusivity with a passion for geek culture, Sara has been active in the fandom world since 2016, racking up over 1 million views on her personal platforms—thanks in part to some ADHD-powered hyperfocus! Her love for online communities and pop culture led to an exciting role at Skybound Entertainment, where she worked on iconic franchises like The Walking Dead and Invincible. Whether it’s comics, TV shows, or anything in between, Sara is all in! You can follow her on most platforms @mamadeadhead.