The protester better known as the “QAnon shaman” from the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol pleaded guilty on Friday to a single felony charge in connection to the incident earlier this year.
Jacob Chansley, 34, became synonymous with the riot, as 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.
Chansley pleaded guilty in Washington, D.C., federal court during a virtual hearing to obstruction of an official proceeding and will be sentenced on Nov. 17, court records show. The records indicate he could be sentenced to between 41 and 51 months in prison.
The sentencing follows a Thursday plea deal Chansley reached with federal prosecutors over his involvement in the riot. Prior to the plea deal, he could have faced up to 20 years in prison.
‘QANON SHAMAN’ REACHES PLEA DEAL IN JAN. 6 RIOT CASE
Chansley has just acknowledged he “in fact guilty of this offense”
Judge accepts guilty plea to count 2 of indictment (Obstruction)
Sentencing date will be set
— Scott MacFarlane (@MacFarlaneNews) September 3, 2021
Chansley has already served nearly eight months in prison since his arrest on Jan. 9. If the court decides to impose a fine for his felony charge, the penalty can range between $15,000 and $150,000.
His attorney, Albert Watkins, has put forward a defense strategy arguing Chansley’s repeated exposure to claims that the 2020 election was fraudulent and his mental health issues were responsible for his involvement in the riot.
“He had no plan,” Watkins told the Washington Examiner on Thursday of Chansley’s entering the Capitol, adding that his client had no nefarious motives or criminal history. “He was the tattooed-nipple, horn-wearing guy who was allowing people to take selfies with him while he screamed freedom and strolled down Pennsylvania Avenue.”
Chansley also faced five additional charges for his involvement in the riot, including civil disorder, entering a restricted building, disorderly conduct in a restricted building, violent entry, and picketing inside the Capitol.
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The Justice Department has filed charges against more than 500 defendants accused of participating in the Jan. 6 riot. About three dozen defendants have entered guilty pleas.
