A North Texas man sentenced to 7.5 years in federal prison after being convicted of crimes related to the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol shared a message for his estranged son after he was released from jail following a pardon by President Donald Trump. Guy Reffitt of Wylie was the first person to be convicted in the Jan. 6 riot and was among the estimated 1,500 people who received a complete and unconditional pardon on Monday for offenses at or near the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. After being released from the D.C. Central Detention Facility, Reffitt spoke to reporters outside, where he thanked the president for his freedom while addressing the strain his arrest and confinement had on his family. On Jan. 6, 2021, Reffitt was recorded on cameras outside the U.S. Capitol carrying a holstered handgun and wearing a helmet, body armor, and zip-tie handcuffs. According to a court filing, prosecutors said he told fellow militia members that he planned to drag then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi out of the U.S. Capitol building by her ankles “with her head hitting every step on the way down.” A Wylie man made headlines after being arrested for his alleged role in the riot at the U.S. Capitol. When Guy Reffitt returned home, the FBI said he threatened his family if they turned him in. After Reffitt returned home to North Texas, his son Jackson said his father threatened him and his sister and said they would be traitors if they reported him to authorities. Jackson testified his father warned them that “traitors get shot” and said he used a cellphone app to secretly record his father boasting about his role in the riot. Jackson reported his father’s behavior to the FBI in December 2020, days before the riot, and later testified he was terrified of his father’s threat. Reffitt’s daughter Peyton also testified and gave an emotional testimony where she said her father wasn’t a threat but that his mental health was the “real issue.” As she choked up, her father could be seen to her left, visibly crying. After his sentencing, Reffitt apologized for his actions on Jan. 6, 2021, and said he regretted everything. “I don’t want anything to do with any groups or militias or any stupid sh*t like that,” Reffitt said. “I do deeply regret everything.” Jackson appeared on Wednesday’s episode of MSNBC’s Chris Jansing Reports and said he was worried his father had become more radicalized and that he now carries a gun 24/7 because he’s received death threats. Jackson said he’s worried about what might happen now that his father is out of jail. Jackson Reffitt on MSNBC, Jan. 22, 2025. “I can’t imagine being safe right now. It goes far beyond my dad. There are people out there — that I get death threats by the minute now. I mean, people feel so validated right now with President Trump stepping into office and saying and doing all this and defending all these horrible actions,” Jackson said. “I mean, I saw a photo of my father today sitting next to the leader of the Oath Keepers. And the final hearing — his final testimony, I remember him saying that he was not going to be involved in this anymore. And, as ignorant as I was then to actually believe that, I’m so heartbroken right now to see imagery like that and to see him continue down this path.” Jackson said he tried to contact his father while he was in jail but that it’s been hard to find the courage. He said his father tried to downplay what happened at the Capitol and justify his actions to avoid accountability. “I want the best for my dad. I advocated for mental health help in prison, and he denied it from what I heard. He absolutely denied it. And that was heartbreaking to hear,” Jackson said. “All he needed was some therapy and some people to talk to that aren’t just going to validate him because that’s what happened on Jan. 6. That’s what led him up those stairs, was validation.” Jackson said his father was an amazing dad growing up and that he raised him to be the man he is right now. Jackson said he thinks his father was at the Capitol on Jan. 6 because he was scared and wanted to save his family. “He wanted to protect his family, but that led him astray. And it was so hard to see him make that decision. I informed authorities prior, but I — he took every action afterward that led him to where he is now, and he’s going to keep taking those decisions. He’s not stopped. And that’s what makes me so upset and scared,” Jackson said. Guy Reffitt, of Wylie, Texas, talks to the media after being freed following a pardon from President Donald Trump. Outside of the D.C. jail where he had been held, Reffitt and his wife Nicole spoke to reporters Wednesday. Guy Reffitt thanked President Trump for his freedom while his wife said, “Promises made, promises kept.” “Thank you, brother,” Reffitt said, describing what he’d say to President Trump if given a chance. “Peace, brother.” Reffitt said he didn’t think he got a fair trial and warned others to avoid taking plea deals. “You’re not going to get a fair trial here if you’re not on their political agenda. You’re not going to get that,” Reffitt said. “Stop taking plea deals, America. Starting today, America, stop taking plea deals. You’re making deals with the devil. You’re bending the knee to tyranny. They are scaring Americans into these plea deals. They’re screwing us out of our constitutional 6th Amendment right to trial and a jury. You’re taking plea deals. It’s on you. Stop doing it.” He was told his son had purchased a gun and was in hiding because he’d received death threats. When asked what he’d like to say to his son, Reffitt replied, “I love you, Jackson.” Reffitt and his wife said they haven’t spoken to Jackson since his release from jail and that they were giving him some time. “We’re going to wait on Jackson,” Nicole Reffitt said. “When he starts feeling more comfortable[and] when he starts feeling more confident, then that will be the time. But there’s no pressure on him right now. I want him to be as safe and feel as secure as he can. Just give it time. Time heals a lot.” Nicole said she was elated her husband was free but was aware of the damage it had done to her family and hoped that together, they could find a path forward. “I know that our family will never ever be the same as it was before Jan. 6, but you know we can move forward, and different doesn’t mean bad; it just means it’s going to be different,” Nicole Reffitt said. “And I think if we work on it, we listen to each other, we’re going to pick up in a really great place. Just a little bit of time.”