Jacob Chansley was sentenced to 41 months in prison after pleading guilty to civil disorder, obstruction of an official proceeding, and disorderly conduct in a restricted building.
The long sentence was intended to send a message and set an example for other January 6 rioters. Chansley's ensemble of Viking garb, Nordic tattoos, and right-wing American iconography have come to symbolize both the riots and Qanon.
The judge said that he was horrified by the way you interfered with the functioning of the government. What you did was terrible. You were the epitome of the riot.
The 41-month sentence was slightly less than what prosecutors wanted. Chansley has been in jail since his arrest.
Al Watkins, the shaman's defense attorney, argued in court that his client should receive a lower sentence because he had recently been diagnosed with a schizotypal personality disorder. As part of the sentence, Chansley will have to submit to drug testing and mental health treatment.
Chansley was indicted by federal prosecutors after January 6. He was a prominent participant and an active symbol of a violent insurrection that attempted to overthrow the United States Government, according to a January filing by prosecutors. Watkins tried to put the onus of blame for the attack on Donald Trump on his client, Chansley, and said that he was obeying the orders of a president.
Watkins said that they listened to those words. Those words meant something to them. They had a right to rely on the words of their president.
As Chansley tried to convince the court of his remorse, references to Gandhi, Jesus, and even The Shawshank Redemption were made.
Chansley said that men of honor admit when they are wrong. I was wrong to enter the Capitol. I have no excuse. Chansley said he was a good man who broke the law.
I look up to Gandhi. I look up to Jesus. Chansley said that she wanted to mirror them.
The sentence length matches the one handed down to the New Jersey gym owner earlier this month. Those are the two longest people involved in Capitol Hill riots to date.
