An Auburn man who pleaded guilty in federal court to his role in the January 6th Capitol Riot in Washington D.C. in September 2022, was one of a number of individuals pardoned by President Donald Trump on Monday.
The Belleville News Democrat reports that 47-year old Shane Jason Woods (also known as Shane Castleman) of Auburn was pardoned by President Trump. He was one in a group of nearly 1,600 people who had been charged in federal court for alleged crimes for their roles in the riots inside and around the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Woods was charged in a multi-county indictment by the U.S. Department of Justice in July 2021.
Woods pleaded guilty to felony charges of assaulting, resisting, or impeding law enforcement officers and striking, beating, or wounding a person in September 2022 and was sentenced to 4 ½ years in federal prison.

Woods admitted to knocking down a female U.S. Capital Police officer who was pursuing a suspect who had sprayed the officer with “a chemical irritant at point-blank range and then ran away,” according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Woods outweighed the officer by over 100 pounds. The next day, the officer said she felt as if she had been “hit by a truck.” Woods also admitted to striking and knocking down a media photographer about two hours after he hit the police officer. Woods was the first person to be charged with assaulting a member of the media.
Woods currently remains held at the Sangamon County Jail on a first-degree murder charge unrelated to the January 6th case. On November 8, 2022, Woods was charged in a six-count indictment for reckless homicide, aggravated driving under the influence, driving under the influence and fleeing/eluding police.
Woods was driving a vehicle the wrong way on Interstate 55, after speeding away from a traffic stop in Divernon and making suicidal statements to law enforcement. Woods’ vehicle eventually struck a vehicle head on driven by 35-year old Lauren Wegner on Interstate 55. Wegner, who had just relocated back to Central Illinois from North Carolina a few months earlier, died at the scene. Three other vehicles were involved in the incident injuring three people, including Woods. Wegner’s family has also sued Woods in civil court for wrongful death.
Woods’ Sangamon County trial date is February 6th.