QAnon Shaman’ sentenced to 41 months in prison
The 34-year-old Jacob Anthony Chansley was among the Trump supporters who tried to stop Congress from certifying the 2020 presidential election on 6 January.
Most recognisable figures from the capitol hill siege after being pictured with a US flag painted on his face and wearing horns and a bearskin headdress. He referred to himself as “the QAnon Shaman”. Just days after the riots, he got arrested and was in custody for nearly 11 months.
Chansley told the FBI that he came to DC in January “at the request of the president” that all “patriots” come to the city.
Also he stated to the judge, he wants to “evolve” and was “wrong for entering the Capitol”. “I have no excuse,” he said.
Adding more, he has been asking himself “what would Jesus do?” and likened himself to Indian independence leader Mahatma Gandhi, saying: “What if we all judge Gandhi based on the fact that he beat his wife before his spiritual awakening?”
Chansley was carrying a spear in the Capitol. Prosecutors also say he led other protesters in and he left a threatening note for former Vice-President Mike Pence saying “It’s only a matter of time,Justice is coming!”
According to the prosecutor, “His consistent rhetoric before and after the event, and his apparent ability to carry out his intentions of violently removing the ‘traitors’ in our government, is clear from the evidence in this case,” .
Now he claims to have disavowed Mr Trump and QAnon both.
In September, his attorney told the court that his client was “non-violent, peaceful and possessed of genuine mental health issues”. That defence didn’t work.
Followers of the QAnon conspiracy theory believe that former President Donald Trump was waging a secret war against a cabal of Satan-worshipping paedophiles in government, business and the media.