Arizona man faces maximum of 20 years in prison for role in pro-Trump mob on Jan. 6
WSJ
Jacob Chansley, the Arizona man who stormed the U.S. Capitol in January in a coyote tail headdress, pleaded guilty to obstruction of an official proceeding, a felony, the Department of Justice said.
Mr. Chansley’s painted face, colorful attire and six-foot spear made him one of the most recognizable participants in the Capitol riot by supporters of former President Trump.
The 34-year-old self-described “QAnon Shaman” pleaded guilty Friday for his role in disrupting a joint session of Congress on Jan. 6 as lawmakers were in the process of counting electoral votes to certify President Biden’s victory in the 2020 presidential election. He faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, as well as a period of supervised release.
Mr. Chansley’s attorney, Albert Watkins, said he entered a guilty plea because he was guilty.
“He is a man who wanted to be held accountable for his actions. He’s a man who wanted to own them,” Mr. Watkins said in an interview. He added that Mr. Chansley suffers from mental-health issues and has mentally deteriorated in solitary confinement.
Mr. Chansley, also known as Jacob Angeli, was arrested on Jan. 9 and has remained in custody since then, the Justice Department said.
More than 570 people have been arrested since January for crimes related to the Capitol riot, the Justice Department said. Those arrested have come from all 50 states, and 170 of them have been charged with assaulting or impeding authorities.
In July testimony before a House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack, police officers who defended the Capitol that day described a harrowing confrontation with rioters. Officer Aquilino Gonell said he and fellow officers were beaten repeatedly and that he thought he would die. “We fought hand to hand, inch by inch,” he testified.
Mr. Chansley was among the pro-Trump mob that passed police lines, according to court documents filed Friday, and was one of the first 30 rioters to get inside the Capitol building. Shirtless and wearing a Viking hat adorned with fur and horns, Mr. Chansley carried a bullhorn and a pole with a sharp object and an American flag.
Once inside the Senate chamber, prosecutors said, Mr. Chansley scaled the Senate dias and took the seat Vice President Mike Pence had occupied an hour earlier. Calling the Republican “a f—ing traitor,” he left a menacing note for Mr. Pence, the Justice Department said. It read: “It’s Only A Matter of Time. Justice Is Coming!”
A sentencing hearing for Mr. Chansley is scheduled for Nov. 17.
