James Ray Epps (born May 28, 1961) is a wedding planner and former Oath Keepers chapter president who was one of the rioters at the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021.
[2] Following January 6, conspiracy theories were shared on Twitter and by former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, accusing Epps of being an agent provocateur and linking his wife to Dominion Voting Systems.
In September 2023, Epps was charged with and pleaded guilty to a single misdemeanor count of disorderly conduct for his participation in the attack,[5] and was sentenced to a year of probation.
[10] In the early afternoon of January 6, 2021, Epps was filmed in desert camouflage clothing, telling a group of people that when "the President is done speaking, we go to the Capitol".
[13] A month later, right-leaning Revolver magazine published an article with the headline "Meet Ray Epps: The Fed-Protected Provocateur Who Appears To Have Led The Very First 1/6 Attack On The U.S.
[9][17] In July the same year, the Associated Press debunked claims shared via Twitter that Epps was in communication with Nancy Pelosi's office prior to the January 6 attack.
[19][20] Epps accused Republican Congressmen Thomas Massie, Matt Gaetz and Marjorie Taylor Greene of spreading lies about him.
[17] Epps' lawyers served a cease and desist letter to Fox News on March 23, 2023, demanding that they stop repeating "malicious lies about his involvement in the events of January 6th.
[9] Several months later, federal prosecutors filed an information, charging Epps with a single misdemeanor count of disorderly conduct on restricted grounds.