‘QAnon’s shaman’ sentenced to 3 years and 5 months in prison for invasion of the Capitol

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Jacob Chansley, who became known as ‘the QAnon shaman’ after appearing wearing a horned fur hat and his face painted red, white and blue during the January raid on the US Legislative Headquarters, was convicted on Wednesday. (17) to 3 years and 5 months in prison by a US federal judge.

In September, Chansley, 34, pleaded guilty to charges of obstructing an official prosecution — the attack on Capitol Hill took place during the session to certify the election victory of Democrat Joe Biden, who succeeded Donald Trump in the White House.

Prosecutors in the case had asked Judge Royce Lamberth, responsible for the sentence, to establish a longer sentence of 51 months (4 years and 3 months). The magistrate, however, followed the same sentence applied last week to a former martial arts fighter who also participated in the episode and was filmed assaulting a police officer – the 41-month sentence is the most severe so far in nearly 700 criminal cases arising from the invasion of the Capitol.

While falling short of the defendant, Attorney Kimberly Paschall said the sentence is sufficient to deter other Americans from committing such acts. “Justice will not stand idly by while the peaceful transfer of power is attacked,” he declared.

To detail the seriousness of the case, he recalled that Chansley had posted messages on social media with threats to politicians even before the invasion. “If the accused were peaceful, he would not be here today,” said Paschall. “A mob that invades the Capitol with the aim of interrupting the activities of parliamentarians is not peaceful.”

Chansley appeared in court in a dark green prison jumpsuit, a beard and a shaved head. “The hardest part about this is that I know I’m guilty,” he said in a long statement before sentencing. “I thought I was going to get 20 years in prison.”

The American insisted that he is neither a dangerous criminal nor a violent man. “And I’m certainly not a terrorist,” he added. “I’m just a good man who broke the law.”

Detained since January, Chansley was diagnosed with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression and anxiety. In pleading guilty, he said he was disappointed not to have received a presidential pardon from Trump, something that would shield him from criminal charges.

A native of Phoenix, Arizona, he became known as the “QAnon Shaman” due to his propagation of QAnon conspiracy theories.

He was arrested three days after the break-in at the US Legislative Headquarters and charged with civil disorder, obstruction and disorderly conduct. According to prosecutors in the case, during the attack Chansley left a note on the desk of then US Vice President Mike Pence, which read: “It’s just a matter of time, justice is coming.”

Five people died during the invasion of the US Legislative Headquarters, including a police officer, who was attacked by protesters. Months later, four police officers, who were also present during the attack, committed suicide. About 140 security agents were injured.

The attack was sparked by Trump, then president, who, during a demonstration in the capital Washington, directed activists to head to the seat of the legislature.

This Monday (15), Steve Bannon, an ally and former adviser to the Republican and another name involved in the episode, turned himself in to the FBI, the American federal police. He was indicted for contempt for failing to comply with congressional subpoenas to testify and present documents about the Capitol invasion and was held until released hours later. Bannon pleaded not guilty to the charges on Wednesday.

More than 30 people have already been convicted in connection with the attack, and most have avoided prison terms by pleading guilty to minor crimes such as disorderly conduct.

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