Jake Lang, a far-right influencer who was criminally charged in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection but was later pardoned by President Trump, was arrested in Dallas, Texas, on a state charge of making terroristic threats.
According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, 31-year-old Lang was arrested Tuesday after getting off a flight in Dallas on one third-degree felony count of making a terroristic threat. He was booked into the Dallas County Jail.
The charge comes after photos and videos showed Lang outside the Collin County courthouse several times this past week during the murder trial for teen Karmelo Anthony.
A jury Tuesday found Anthony guilty of murder in the April 2025 stabbing death of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf at a track meet in the Dallas suburb of Frisco, and he was sentenced to 35 years in prison.
Anthony’s family told CBS News on Wednesday that Lang had allegedly threatened to shoot Anthony in the head if he was not convicted of murder.
In a video posted to his X account Tuesday, the voice of a man claiming to be Lang alleges that he is calling from the Dallas County Jail, and says, “They’ve arrested me for a felony, what’s called terroristic threats, simply because I said that if the jury did not find Karmelo Anthony guilty, that we the people will deal with justice. And this is a classic case of lawfare used to squash a First Amendment protester like myself.”
In a follow-up social media post, Lang said his bail had been set at $1 million.
CBS News has been unable to reach Lang’s legal representation for comment.
Lang’s arrest marks his latest run-in with law enforcement since receiving a presidential pardon last year.
He was arrested last week in Frisco, Texas, on a trespassing charge. In March, he was also arrested in St. Paul, Minnesota, on allegations of vandalizing a sculpture on the front steps of the Minnesota Capitol that read “prosecute ICE.” Lang’s trial in that case is scheduled for next month.
Lang was indicted in 2021 on 11 federal counts for his alleged role in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, including charges of assault on an officer and civil disorder, but he was pardoned by Mr. Trump, along with hundreds of other Jan. 6 defendants, while waiting for his case to go to trial.
Andrew Anthony, Karmelo Anthony’s father, told CBS News on Wednesday he felt “somewhat relieved” since Lang was arrested, but added that the family has “got a long journey ahead of us.”
Andrew Anthony said the family has continued to receive racially charged death threats in the wake of his son’s conviction. Despite the guilty verdict, Karmelo Anthony’s family has maintained that Anthony was defending himself during the deadly incident. He did not testify during the trial.
The case drew national attention and brought out dozens of people to the courthouse daily during the trial to protest in support of, and against, Karmelo Anthony.
In the immediate aftermath of the stabbing, Lang was responsible for organizing a protest in support of Metcalf. The flyer for the protest used a picture of Metcalf with a banner reading “Protect White Americans.”
Metcalf’s father has repeatedly urged the public not to stoke racial tensions and politicize his son’s death. In an interview with CBS News Texas Wednesday, Jeff Metcalf said that he forgives Anthony.
contributed to this report.
