THE MAN known as the "QAnon Shaman" for his elaborate costume and prominent role in the Capitol riots was sentenced to over three years in prison on Wednesday.
Jacob Chansley, who donned a horned winter hat and carried an American flag while storming the US Capitol building, epitomised for many the chaos of that extraordinary day, and captured the attention – and lenses – of the world's media.
He was arrested three days later on January 9, 2021, and has been held without bail since then.
Taking centre stage at the insurrection didn’t help the 34 year olds case, as the Justice Department requested a harsh sentence be imposed to set an example.
The speared flagpole around which the conspiracy theorist draped an American flag was also characterised as a weapon by prosecutors.
An outwardly repentant Chansley told the court that his behaviour was “indefensible” in statement issued before sentencing, The Telegraph reports.
He was sentenced to 41-months imprisonment, one of the lengthiest handed down to a rioter so far, for obstruction of an official proceeding.
The term will likely be a point of reference for other passing sentence on hundreds of other rioters awaiting prosecution.
Considering prosecutors were initially pursuing a charge sheet carrying a maximum of 20 years imprisonment, this could be considered a good outcome for Chansley.
Prosecutors agreed to drop the remaining charges following Wednesday’s sentencing hearing.
Chansley’s lawyers requested that he be incarcerated in a facility close to his family in Arizona.
