Arizona man pleads guilty to felony amid riots

Phoenix – A man in Arizona, wearing face paint, shirtless and a horned fur hat, was convicted of a felony Friday when he joined a mob that attacked the United States Capitol on January 6 . I hope to be released from prison while I wait.

Prosecutors have said Jacob Chansley, who has been widely photographed in the Senate with a flag pole covered with a spear, could face a sentence of 41 to 51 months under sentencing guidelines. A man named “Q Anon Shaman” has been jailed for about eight months since his arrest.

Prior to the plea, Chansley was found mentally competent by a judge after being transferred to a Colorado facility for a mental health assessment. His attorney Albert Watkins said the solitary confinement that Chansley faced most of his time in prison took a toll on his mental health, and his time in Colorado allowed him to regain his sharpness. He said he had helped.

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“I am very grateful to the court for investigating my mental vulnerabilities,” Chansley said, before pleading guilty to interfering with official proceedings.

U.S. District Court Judge Royce Lamberth is considering a request for release from Chansley Prison pending a decision scheduled for Nov. 17.

The Chancellery was one of the first waves of protrump riots to enter the Capitol building. While in the Senate, he yelled into the speaker when an officer attempted to control the crowd, took photos and openly called Vice President Mike Pence a traitor. He wrote a note to Pence saying, “It’s only a matter of time, justice is coming.” He also posted on social media in November to promote the hanging of the traitors.

The image of Chansley, whose face was painted like the American flag, wearing a bearskin headdress and appearing to scream, was one of the first striking images to emerge from the riots.

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Chansley is among some 600 people accused of riots that forced him to hide his lawmakers in a meeting to prove victory for President Joe Biden’s constituency. The other 50 pleaded guilty mainly to the offense of demonstrations on the Capitol.

So far, only one defendant has been convicted of a crime. Florida crane operator Paul Hodgkins, who pierced the US Senate with the Trump campaign flag, was sentenced to eight months in prison from July after pleading guilty to obstructing due process. ..

The Chancellery lawyer said his client had since rejected the QAnon movement and demanded that he no longer mention his past affiliation with the movement.

The man has long been the outfit for Trump’s rally. Two months before the riot, he appeared in a suit and wore the QAnon sign in protest with other Trump supporters outside the Phoenix Election Office, where the votes were being counted.

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His lawyer said Chansley had already been “horribly beaten” by Trump, believing that Trump was like any other riot that called him to Capitol Hill, but later Trump joined the riot with Chansley. I felt betrayed after refusing to grant amnesty to others.

After spending the first month in jail, Chansley said he reassessed his life, regretted attacking the building and apologized for fearing others.

Chansley quit eating twice in prison and lost 20 pounds (9 kilograms) until authorities gave him organic food.

Watkins called the spear Chanceley had ornamental, argued his client’s note to Pence was threatening, and Chansley was in the third wave of riots on Capitol Hill. Insisted.

However, the judge said the video showed Chansley, who entered the Capitol through the door when the riot smashed a nearby window, “literally led the way into the building.”