The protester Jacob Chansley, better known as the “QAnon shaman” from the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol, was sentenced to 41 months in prison plus the time he has already served while awaiting his court trial on Wednesday.
Chansley, a 34-year-old Arizona resident, was arrested days following the riot and was indicted on six charges, two of which were felonies. He struck a plea deal with the government and pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to a single count of obstruction of an official proceeding.
“What you did here was horrific, as you now concede,” U.S. District Court Judge Royce Lamberth said. “It is the type of conduct that is so serious that I cannot justify downward departure.”
The sentence comes nearly a week after federal prosecutors recommended Chansley serve 51 months for his role in the breach of the Capitol earlier this year in Washington, D.C., as Congress prepared to certify the electoral vote for President Joe Biden.
‘QANON SHAMAN’ FACES MORE THAN FOUR YEARS IN PRISON AFTER PLEADING GUILTY
During his sentencing hearing Wednesday, Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Paschall described the defendant as a primary instigator of the riot despite the fact he did not assault anyone during the violent scene.
Paschall claimed Chansley’s actions were not “peaceful,” pointing to video evidence from inside the Capitol, where he yelled “Time’s up, motherf***er!” Paschall also cited a written note Chansley left on then-Vice President Mike Pence’s desk, which read, “Justice is coming.”
“If the defendant had been peaceful on that day, your honor, we would not be here,” Paschall said. Prosecutors also noted Chansley’s failure to comply with law enforcement inside the Capitol.
The defendant’s attorney, Al Watkins, pushed for leniency in his client’s case, noting that prison psychologists found he suffers from a variety of mental illnesses, including transient schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, and anxiety.
“I was in solitary confinement because of me, because of my decision. I broke the law. … I should do what Gandhi would do and take responsibility,” Chansley said Wednesday while testifying for more than 30 minutes.
“There’s no ifs, and, or buts about it. That’s what men of honor do,” he added, vowing never to do anything to be jailed again.
Chansley became synonymous with the riot after he was pictured multiple times carrying a 6-foot pole with a spearhead into the federal building, wearing a fur hat with horns while covered in red and blue face paint.
The defendant became known as the “QAnon Shaman” prior to the Jan. 6 riot and was reportedly spotted at previous rallies and marches.
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As of Nov. 17, 695 people have been arrested and charged with crimes tied to the riot at the Capitol, according to data from the Justice Department.
