Jacob Chansley, ‘QAnon Shaman’, pleads guilty to rioting US Capitol riot

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The defendant, Jacob Chansley, of Arizona, is a well-known figure in the QAnon movement. It went viral after the January 6 attack due to the bizarre clothing he wore while shuffling through the Capitol. He headed to the Senate podium that was hastily abandoned earlier by Vice President Mike Pence – someone Chansley falsely claimed to be a “child trafficking traitor.”

He pleaded guilty Friday during a virtual hearing in DC district court. The guilty plea was filed as part of an agreement with prosecutors and was accepted by District Judge Royce Lamberth.

Chansley was originally charged with six federal offenses. He pleaded guilty to one of the most serious charges and could face up to 20 years in prison, although his lack of a criminal record means he will likely receive far less. As part of the claim agreement, Chansley agreed to pay $ 2,000 in restitution for damages caused to the Capitol. He could also receive a fine of up to $ 250,000.

During the court hearing, Chansley’s attorney again asked for his client’s release prior to sentencing. The Justice Department opposed the request and Lamberth said it will issue a decision soon. When convicted, Chansley will get credit for the time he has already served in prison.

The sentence was scheduled for Nov. 17. As part of the claim agreement, prosecutors agreed to ask for a sentence of approximately three to four years in prison. This is the same potential prison sentence that other Capitol insurgents face who pleaded guilty to a single felony charge.

He has been in prison since his arrest in January and his lawyer has defended his release on a few occasions. But the judge overseeing the case has repeatedly ruled that Chansley is too dangerous to release, which makes Chansley part of a small group of rioters who are not accused of attacking anyone that day, but who they have been arrested before the trial because of the potential for the future. violence.

The case revealed how some Trump supporters are now facing the consequences of the real world by believing in fantastic conspiracy theories. Chansley’s support for QAnon inspired his presence at the Capitol on January 6, leaving him in prison the previous eight months. His lawyer now says Chansley is “looking to … move away and distance himself from the Q vortex.”

The high profile box approaches

Mental health has been an important part of Chansley’s criminal case. He underwent a court-ordered psychological evaluation earlier this year and his lawyer has argued that the government worsens his pre-existing mental health conditions by keeping him behind bars before the trial.

“He is a man with a mental health vulnerability who, for the past eight months, has been in what any doctor is the worst he can do if he has a personality disorder that is in isolation,” defense attorney said At Watkins during Friday’s view.

Chansley answered procedural questions during the hearing and spoke briefly about mental health assessment. Lamberth ruled that Chansley was competent to plead guilty.

“I am very grateful for the court’s willingness to have me examine my mental vulnerabilities, as well as I hope your honor has not offended anything (which) I said to the psychiatrist. I certainly didn’t mean anything. I just said that I hope you are impartial, “Chansley said, prompting Lambeth to reply that the comment did not offend him.

In general, at least 600 people have been arrested and the Justice Department has obtained more than 50 counts of guilt.

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