'QAnon Shaman' Jacob Chansley pleads guilty to felony in US Capitol riot
(CNN)The so-called "QAnon Shaman" who stormed the US Capitol in a horned bearskin outfit pleaded guilty Friday to a felony for obstructing the Electoral College proceedings on January 6.
The
defendant, Jacob Chansley of Arizona, is a well-known figure in the
QAnon movement. He went viral after the January 6 attack because of the
bizarre outfit he wore while rummaging through the Capitol. He made his
way to the Senate dais that was hastily vacated earlier by Vice
President Mike Pence -- someone Chansley falsely claimed was a
"child-trafficking traitor."
He
pleaded guilty Friday during a virtual hearing in DC District Court.
The guilty plea was made as part of a deal with prosecutors, and it was
accepted by District Judge Royce Lamberth.
The case has seen plenty of twists and turns: Chansley went on a hunger strike in February as part of a successful bid to get organic food in jail. He gave a jailhouse interview in March that was later rebuked by the judge in his case. And his attorney insulted people with disabilities in May, in what he said was a ploy to draw attention to mental health issues in the legal system.
Video of 'QAnon Shaman' at Capitol riot angers judge 02:58
Chansley was originally charged with
six federal crimes. He pleaded guilty to one of the most serious
charges and could face a maximum of 20 years in prison, though his lack
of a criminal record means he'll likely receive much less. As part of
the plea agreement, Chansley agreed to pay $2,000 in restitution for
damage to the Capitol. He could also face a fine of up to $250,000.
During
the plea hearing, Chansley's attorney asked yet again for his client to
be released before sentencing. The Justice Department opposed this
request, and Lamberth said he will issue a decision soon. When he is
sentenced, Chansley will get credit for time already served in jail.
Sentencing
was scheduled for November 17. As part of the plea deal, prosecutors
agreed to seek a punishment between roughly three and four years in
prison. This is the same potential prison term that other Capitol
rioters who pleaded guilty to a single felony charge are facing.
He
has been in jail since his arrest in January, and his attorney argued
for his release on a few occasions. But the judge overseeing the case
repeatedly ruled that Chansley is too dangerous to
set free -- making Chansley part of a small group of rioters who aren't
accused of attacking anyone that day, but have been detained before
trial because of the potential for future violence.
The
case highlighted how some Trump supporters are now facing real-world
consequences by believing in fantastical conspiracy theories. Chansley's
support for QAnon inspired his presence at the Capitol on January 6,
which landed him in jail for the previous eight months. His lawyer now
says Chansley is "seeking ... to step away and distance himself from the
Q vortex."
High-profile case nears an end
Mental
health has been a major part of Chansley's criminal case. He underwent a
court-ordered psychological evaluation earlier this year, and his
lawyer has argued that the government was making his pre-existing mental
health conditions worse by keeping him behind bars before trial.
"He
is a man with mental health vulnerability who has, for eight months,
been in what any doctor is the worst thing you can possibly have done to
you if you have a personality disorder, which is be placed in solitary
confinement," defense attorney Al Watkins said during Friday's hearing.
Chansley
answered procedural questions during the hearing and spoke briefly
about the mental health evaluation. Lamberth ruled that Chansley was
competent to plead guilty.
"I
am very appreciative for the court's willingness to have me in my
mental vulnerabilities examined, as well as I hope that your honor
certainly didn't take any offense by anything (that) I told the
psychiatrist. I certainly didn't mean anything personal. I just said I
hope you were impartial," Chansley said, prompting Lambeth to reply that
he wasn't offended by the comment.
Overall, at least 600 people have been arrested, and the Justice Department has secured more than 50 guilty pleas.
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