Several news reports have confirmed that Jacob Chansely aka the “Qanon Shaman”, the man who was sentenced in 2021 to 41 months in prison was released more than a year early to a halfway house to complete his sentence.
The 35-year-old aspiring actor was moved to a “residential re-entry management” facility in Phoenix and is expected to be released from custody on May 25.
Chansley, who received the longest jail term of any of the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol rioters, was convicted of a single count of felony obstruction of justice. He was one of nearly 1,000 people who were charged in the 6 January 2021 riot. Supporters of the riot stormed the Capitol as lawmakers certified President Joe Biden’s election win in 2020.
Advertisement
Chansley’s lawyer Albert Watkins said in a statement that the early release of his client was “appropriate” and he should be “permitted to move forward with the next stage of what undoubtedly will be a law-abiding and enriching life”.
He recently re-emerged in the national spotlight after Fox News host Tucker Carlson argued the riot was mostly peaceful, airing footage of the self-styled QAnon Shaman wandering the halls of Congress with police officers either escorting him, or making no attempt to bar his way.
His alias was a reference to a baseless conspiracy theory whose adherents believe former President Donald Trump was waging a secret war against elite Satan-worshipping paedophiles.
