Indiana Fugitive from January 6th Insurrection Anticipates Trump Pardon
Editor’s Note: Watch Tim’s full report and his interview with Antony Vo tonight on News 8 at 5 and 6.
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — For over five months, Antony Vo has been evading authorities as a fugitive under a federal warrant.
The Indiana resident is hopeful that his situation will change on January 20, 2025, following the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump for a second term in office.
In a recent Zoom interview, Vo shared his anticipation of receiving a pardon from Trump after the latter's victory over Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election. While he kept his exact whereabouts undisclosed, Vo expressed confidence in Trump's promise of clemency.
“Yeah, I do,” Vo stated. “I have no reason to doubt that President Trump is a man of his word, and he will make extreme efforts to pardon all of us.”
Here, "us" refers to everyone facing criminal charges related to the events of January 6th.
Vo was a student at Indiana University Bloomington when he attended the "Stop the Steal" rally in Washington, D.C., which escalated into the riot at the U.S. Capitol.
A federal judge sentenced Vo to nine months in prison following his conviction for charges stemming from that day. However, he failed to report to the Federal Bureau of Prisons by June 14, 2024, resulting in the issuance of an arrest warrant against him.
While acknowledging that he and his mother were present at the Capitol during the riot, Vo claims he did not witness any violence and believed law enforcement were allowing demonstrators into the building.
“I really thought that the police were keeping their oaths to the constitution and were stepping aside to let us exercise our constitutionally guaranteed rights,” Vo explained. “I thought it was totally permitted.”
His mother, Annie Vo, also faces charges related to her involvement on that day; her case remains unresolved.
Vo is convinced that Trump should—and will—extend pardons to all individuals charged in connection with January 6th events, regardless of their actions during the chaos.
“I think at a fundamental level...the whole January 6 thing is just so politicized and corrupted,” said Vo. “I think we’re entirely misrepresented. We’re basically entrapped and treated very differently than any other protesters.”
Vo attributes blame for the turmoil surrounding the certification of the 2020 presidential election results to what he perceives as a government conspiracy. He has called for imprisonment for members of the January 6th Committee and accused U.S. District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan—who oversaw his case—of treasonous behavior.
“The people that participated in (Jan. 6) by and large were for the democratic process of ensuring the election was right,” Vo stated during our conversation. “The people who basically prevented us from doing so are, in my opinion, wanting to impede the democratic process.”
Vo has applied for refugee status but remains tight-lipped about which country he has chosen. Additionally, he has expressed interest in joining Trump's transition team.