Capitol Hill Riot 'Shaman' To Plead Guilty to Federal Charges

Trump Supporters Hold "Stop The Steal" Rally In DC Amid Ratification Of Presidential Election

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WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 6: Jacob Anthony Angeli Chansley, known as the QAnon Shaman, is seen at the Capital riots. On January 9, Chansley was arrested on federal charges of "knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority, and with violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds"Trump supporters clashed with police and security forces as people try to storm the US Capitol on January 6, 2021 in Washington, DC. Demonstrators breeched security and entered the Capitol as Congress debated the 2020 presidential election Electoral Vote Certification.

Authorities revealed in court records that the QAnon conspiracy theorist who wore a horned bearskin outfit during the Capitol Hill riot will be pleading guilty to federal charges on Friday.

The suspect, identified as Jacob Chansley, was arrested in January and has been kept in jail since. Officials charged the man with six federal crimes in connection to his role in the Jan. 6 Capitol Hill attack. The charges include felonies for civil disorder and obstructing congressional proceedings. However, the court did not specify to which charges Chansley would plead guilty and his attorney, Al Watkins, declined to comment.

QAnon 'Shaman' To Plead Guilty

In a statement, the suspect's attorney said that he was processing the entire time he was in jail in the wake of the Jan. 6 Capitol siege. Chansley reportedly went through pain, depression, solitary confinement, introspection, recognition of mental health vulnerabilities, and coming to terms with the need to improve himself.

Several times, Chansley's attorneys have tried to get him out of prison, but their requests were all denied by the judge that considered the suspect too dangerous to be set free. DC District Judge Royce Lamberth wrote a letter in March that said despite Chansley's attempts to downplay his acts during the Capitol riot and saying he was a peaceful person, there was no evidence that the court found to support his claims, CNN reported.

Chansley is a well-known member of the QAnon conspiracy community, who are believed to have spearheaded the Capitol Hill riot. On Thursday, Watkins repealed that his client was now "seeking, as part of his reconciliation of where he is today, to step away and distance himself from the Q vortex."

The suspect first garnered attention after he was filmed and photographed wearing a unique costume during the Jan. 6 attack. He was considered one of the most notorious members of the large crowd in the area at the time. He had tattoos, face paint, a fur hat, and held a spear during the insurrection, CNBC reported.

Similar Incident

There are also about 600 defendants who have been charged in relation to the Jan. 6 riot, which started after former United States President Donald Trump urged his supporters to rally to Congress. The statements were made in the wake of his loss to Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential elections.

One of the defendants is ordered to go back to prison two months after being set free due to viewing conspiracy theories after his release, including from the MyPillow guy. On Thursday, a judge told the suspect, identified as Doug Jensen, to be imprisoned again because of violations to conditions related to his release.

In previous court filings, prosecutors said that Jensen admitted he watched Mike Lindell's Cyber Symposium, which was about the recount of the presidential election. He was not permitted to access the internet following his release.

The suspect is believed to have led a group of supporters at the Jan. 6 Capitol Hill riot while his lawyer argued his client was "bought into a pack of lies." However, District Judge Timothy Kelly argued on Thursday that Jensen did not experience the transformation that his lawyer claimed he had gone through, Yahoo News reported.