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Jacob Chansley (aka the “QAnon Shaman”) pleaded guilty to a felony for obstructing Electoral College proceedings during the January 6 uprising on the United States Capitol.
Chansley went viral when shirtless horned photos of him participating in the riots were posted online. After being arrested, he made headlines for demanding that he be fed only organic food in prison, citing religious reasons.
The 34-year-old was originally charged with six federal crimes. He pleaded guilty to one of the most serious charges on Friday and now faces a maximum of 20 years in prison plus a fine of $ 250,000.
Chansley’s attorney, Albert Watkins, said his client was deeply upset by the ensemble’s participation in a deadly insurgency as he truly viewed Donald Trump as his “first love” who ultimately betrayed him.
“He had a fondness for Trump that was reminiscent of the first love a man can have for a girl, or a girl for a man, or a man for a man,” Watkins said. “The first love always, always keeps a tender and sweet point in the heart of the lover.”
He went on to say that Chansley only really had the best of intentions when he was one of the first 30 people to storm the building in search of Mike Pence, whom he called a “traitor of the trafficking in children ”, on that dark day of last January.
“In his heart and in his mind he was helping the president save the country,” Watkins said, adding that Chansley “had no plan… he was half-naked, tattooed, on a winter’s day in Washington. Sure, he had the best costume of the day, he had the best look.
As part of the plea deal, Chansley also agreed to pay $ 2,000 in restitution for damage to the Capitol. His sentencing is scheduled for November 17.
Graham Gremore is editor and editor at Queerty. Follow him on Twitter @grahamgremore.
