ARIZONA NEWS

Arizona’s ‘QAnon Shaman’ sentenced to 41 months for role in Jan. 6 attacks

Nov 17, 2021, 10:25 AM | Updated: 11:22 am

(Photo by Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images)...

(Photo by Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images)

(Photo by Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images)

PHOENIX — Jacob Chansley, the Arizona man who pleaded guilty for his role in breaching the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 while dressed in his infamous “QAnon Shaman” outfit, was sentenced to 41 months in prison on Wednesday.

The sentence was on the low end of the guidelines of his plea deal but matched the longest among the more than 30 riot-related sentences handed down so far. Prosecutors wanted the maximum of 51 months.

Before he was sentenced, Chansley told U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth it was wrong for him to enter the Capitol and that he accepts responsibility for his actions. He emphasized he wasn’t an insurrectionist and is troubled with the way he was portrayed in news stories in the aftermath of the riot.

“I have no excuse,” Chansley said. “No excuses whatsoever. My behavior is indefensible.”

The judge said Chansley’s remorse appeared to be genuine but noted the seriousness of his actions in the Capitol. “What you did was terrible,” Lamberth said. “You made yourself the center of the riot.”

Chansley, who has been in jail for 10 months, sought to be sentenced to time served. His lawyer, Albert Watkins, said his client has longstanding mental health problems that were worsened by being held in solitary confinement due to COVID-19 protocols and is in dire need of mental health treatment.

Chansley, 34, pleaded guilty on Sept. 3 to obstructing an official proceeding, a felony. He was originally indicted Jan. 11 on six counts but had five charges dismissed through the plea.

The Arizona man has become a symbol of the Jan. 6 Capitol incursion because of his flamboyant appearance – with face paint, bare and tattooed torso and fuzzy hat with horns.

More than 100 law enforcement officers were injured during the riot, according to prosecutors. Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick collapsed and died after rioters sprayed him with a chemical irritant.

Before Jan. 6, Chansley, a rabid promoter of the QAnon conspiracy theory, had been a fixture at rallies for then-President Donald Trump and various protests in Phoenix, impossible to miss in his flamboyant costume.

Chansley was among the first wave of pro-Trump rioters to force its way into the Capitol building during a siege that prompted lawmakers to go into hiding as they were meeting to certify President Joe Biden’s Electoral College victory.

He yelled into a bullhorn as officers tried to control the crowd, posed for photos and referred to then-Vice President Mike Pence as a traitor. He also wrote a note to Pence saying, “It’s only a matter of time, justice is coming.”

More than 675 people have been charged with federal crimes related to the events of Jan. 6, including more than 100 accused of assaulting law enforcement officers.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

We want to hear from you.

Have a story idea or tip? Pass it along to the KTAR News team here.

Arizona News

A new report found one-third of Arizona public grade school students are chronically absent from sc...

Balin Overstolz

Study finds chronic absent rate for Arizona students double pre-pandemic numbers

A new report found one-third of Arizona public grade school students are chronically absent from school, which is double the absence rate before the pandemic.

4 minutes ago

Katie Hobbs southern border...

Danny Shapiro

Arizona Gov. Hobbs says she welcomes help as more active-duty military head to southern border

Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs is inviting more help at the southern border as more active-duty military are set to be deployed to the state.

18 minutes ago

The Phoenix Marathon is set to take place in December....

Lance Hartzler

Phoenix gets its first signature marathon in December

The Phoenix City Council approved the city's first full signature marathon, which is to include a full, half and 10-kilometer race.

34 minutes ago

This rendering shows what the Mesa Grandview Business Park will look like upon completion. (Photo v...

Serena O'Sullivan

Construction starts on 270,000-square-foot industrial development in Mesa’s Falcon District

Several companies related to the Mesa Grandview Business Park gathered with city officials for the groundbreaking of the industrial development.

9 hours ago

CarMax, the nation’s largest used vehicle seller, is hiring after announcing a new reconditioning...

David Veenstra

CarMax hiring for new West Valley reconditioning and auction center

CarMax, the nation’s largest used vehicle seller, is hiring after announcing a new reconditioning and auction center in the West Valley on Thursday.

11 hours ago

Emergency air medical base opens at Abrazo West Campus Goodyear...

Serena O'Sullivan

New emergency helicopter base opens at West Valley hospital

A new emergency air medical base in Goodyear will expand the presence of life-saving care provider Air Methods, the company said on Wednesday.

12 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

...

Fiesta Bowl Foundation

Join us for the 52nd annual Vrbo Fiesta Bowl Parade

The 52nd annual Vrbo Fiesta Bowl Parade presented by Lerner & Rowe returns on Saturday, December 28, at 10 a.m.

...

The UPS Store

How The UPS Store is giving back to the community

PHOENIX -- As 2024 nears a close, The UPS Store is looking to give back to the Arizona community with the holiday season approaching.

...

Schwartz Laser Eye Center

Don’t miss the action with this game-changing procedure

PHOENIX -- The clear lens exchange procedure has emerged as a popular alternative to LASIK eye surgery.

Arizona’s ‘QAnon Shaman’ sentenced to 41 months for role in Jan. 6 attacks