'QAnon Shaman' in US Capitol Riot Pleads Guilty to Felony Obstruction - Justice Dept.
© AP Photo / Dario Lopez-MIlls
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WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - Jacob Anthony Chansley, also known as “QAnon Shaman,” pleaded guilty to crimes stemming from his participation in the Capitol building riot on January 6, the Department of Justice said on Friday.
“Jacob Anthony Chansley, a.k.a. Jake Angeli, 34, of Phoenix, Arizona, pleaded guilty today to obstruction of an official proceeding, a felony, for his role in the crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, which disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress that was in the process of ascertaining and counting the electoral votes related to the presidential election,” the Department said in a release.
Chansley was among the crowd that broke into the US Capitol building and proceeded to the Upper West Terrace inside the building where the election certification proceedings were taking place, the release said.
FILE - In this Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021 file photo, supporters of President Donald Trump, including Jacob Chansley, right with fur hat, are confronted by U.S. Capitol Police officers outside the Senate Chamber inside the Capitol in Washington. Congress is set to hear from former security officials about what went wrong at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. That's when when a violent mob laid siege to the Capitol and interrupted the counting of electoral votes. Three of the four testifying Tuesday resigned under pressure immediately after the attack, including the former head of the Capitol Police.
© AP Photo / Manuel Balce Ceneta
Chansley faces up to 20 years in prison and a period of supervised release. Sentencing has been scheduled for November 17, the release said.
The defendant has become the most recognized participant of the riot due to his extravagant outfit, which included bull horns and a fur headdress. He was arrested on January 9 and has been in custody ever since.
After being taking into custody, Chansley garnered headlines after he went on a hunger strike after the facility he was being held in failed to provide him with organic food. He was ultimately moved to the Alexandria Detention Center in Virginia after a federal judge ruled his jailers had to adhere to his dietary restrictions.
Taking part in a March interview for CBS News' "60 Minutes+," Chansley told viewers that he did not believe his actions during the storming of the Capitol constituted an "attack." The eyebrow-raising interview went on to see the self-avowed shaman explain that his participation in the riot was him attempting to "bring divinity" to the federal government.
The deadly January 6 riot saw thousands of Trump supporters enter the US Capitol in a bid to protest the lawmakers efforts to certify the 2020 election results. The chaos that ensued during the day's events saw authorities shot one protester dead, and later charge over 500 people for participating in the event.
Former US President Donald Trump raised alarm among his base after spouting unsubstantiated claims that the election results in several US states were invalid due to voter fraud, which effectively robbed him of an election victory.
