ARIZONA, USA — Editor's Note: The above video is from an earlier broadcast.
Jacob Chansley of Phoenix, well known as the "QAnon Shaman," has dropped the appeal of his guilty plea and 41-month prison sentence for his role in the Jan. 6 Insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.
Chansley's request to dismiss his appeal was granted Tuesday, according to a filing in the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
In November of 2021, a judge sentenced Chansley to 41 months in prison for his role in the Insurrection.
The federal judge's sentencing was 10 months less than what the prosecution in the case was seeking. The judge also gave Chansley credit for time served, making the net sentence around 31 months in prison.
Chansley was described by the prosecution as "the public face of the Capitol riot." He stood out from the rioters who stormed the Capitol, shirtless with a horned headdress at the dais where Vice President Mike Pence had been presiding at the certification of the 2020 election.
"I was wrong for entering the Capitol," Chansley said in a statement expressing his remorse. "I have no excuse. No excuse whatsoever. My behavior’s indefensible. But I'm in no way, shape or form a violent criminal. I'm not an insurrectionist."
In September of 2021, Chansley pleaded guilty to a felony charge of obstructing an official proceeding. During the hearing, the judge determined Chansley is competent. Under a plea deal, five other charges were dropped.
According to court documents, Chansley was among the crowd that passed the police line at the West Front of the U.S. Capitol, entering the building while certification proceedings were still underway.
Once on the Senate floor, court documents report that Chansley scaled the Senate dais and took the seat that former Vice President Pence previously occupied. Officials report that Chansley refused to vacate when told to do so by law enforcement, saying “Mike Pence is a [expletive] traitor” and then wrote a note on available paper on the dais, stating “It’s Only A Matter of Time. Justice Is Coming!”
Chansley was arrested on Jan. 9, 2021, and has been in custody ever since. He was ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution and must serve a period of three years of supervised release following completion of his prison term.
Other Arizona arrests in connection to the Capitol riot include James Burton McGrew, Micajah Joel Jackson, Felicia Konold, Cory Konold, Andrew Hatley and Tim Gionet.
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