Texas Jan. 6 Rioter Claims Estrogen Injections in Prison Made Him Grow Breasts

WASHINGTON - A Jan. 6 rioter from Texas is suing the Department of Justice, claiming prison staff wrongly injected him with high doses of estrogen that caused him to grow breasts and even produce breast milk, according to Law & Crime.

Andrew Taake, 36, alleged in a federal complaint filed Sept. 5 that he was “permanently injured, disfigured, and sterile” after receiving improper injections during his time in federal custody. His attorneys claim that correctional staff gave him estrogen instead of testosterone, a treatment he had been prescribed for low testosterone before his arrest.

The lawsuit states Taake developed female breast tissue and began leaking milk after repeated injections. Lawyers further allege that the estrogen caused gynecomastia, elevated prolactin levels, and psychological trauma. Taake claims he was harassed and assaulted by inmates and staff while spending more than three years in prison, much of it in solitary confinement.

According to Law & Crime, Taake pleaded guilty in December 2023 to assaulting officers with a metal whip and bear spray during the Capitol riot. He was sentenced to 74 months in prison and ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution. He previously received a presidential pardon from Donald Trump but was later re-arrested in Texas on a 2016 charge of online solicitation of a minor.

The complaint accuses prison officials and medical staff of being “hostile and deliberately indifferent” to Taake’s medical needs, alleging he was mocked and denied proper treatment for tuberculosis and hypogonadism. His attorneys argue the injections left him with lasting injuries comparable to post-traumatic stress disorder.

Taake is seeking damages against the DOJ and several Trump administration officials, claiming violations of his constitutional rights and “pain and suffering, emotional distress, and lack of enjoyment of life,” Law & Crime reported.