WASHINGTON — Jon R. Schaffer pleaded guilty Friday to two federal charges for his involvement during the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, making him the first of more than 400 defendants to do so.
Schaffer, 53, Edinburgh, pleaded guilty to obstruction of an official proceeding and entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon. The first charge carries up to 20 years in prison while the second can go as high as 10 years.
The Indiana native has also entered a cooperation agreement with the government in hopes of a reduced sentence. Friday’s proceedings were held before the U.S. District Court Judge Amit Mehta.
The Edinburgh man was charged by criminal information, which is used when a defendant waives his or her right to an indictment, the Washington Post reported. The same two charges have been brought against around a quarter of the 410 individuals charged in the Jan. 6 riot to date.
Count one states: “On or about Jan. 6, 2021, within the District of Columbia, Jon Schaffer attempted to, and did, corruptly obstruct, influence, and impede an official proceeding; that is, Schaffer forcibly entered the Capitol to, and did, stop, delay, and hinder Congress’s certification of the Electoral College vote.”
Count two states: “On or about Jan. 6, 2021, within the District of Columbia, Jon Schaffer unlawfully and knowingly enter and remain in a restricted building and grounds, that is, any posted, cordoned-off, and otherwise restricted area within the United States Capitol and its grounds, where the Vice President was temporarily visiting, without lawful authority to do so, and, during and in relation to the offense, did carry a deadly and dangerous weapon, that is, a cannister of bear repellent capsaicin pepper spray, commonly referred to as “bear spray.”
Some media outlets reported Friday that Schaffer was authorized to be released from jail while he awaits sentencing, but that could not be confirmed by Republic deadline. Court documents show that the Department of Justice (DOJ) has offered to sponsor Schaffer for the witness federal witness protection program.
Before the plea, Schaffer faced six federal charges relating to the Capitol insurrection.
During the plea agreement, Schaffer “acknowledged he is a founding lifetime member of the Oath Keepers,” a press release from the DOJ said.
The FBI has labeled the Oath Keepers as a far-right militia group that “as a group urged President Trump to declare Martial Law in order to prevent the Congress from certifying the Electoral College Results.”
A statement of fact by an FBI agent in the case alleges Schaffer used a type of bear repellent against Capitol police on Jan. 6. Photos and video from the insurrection show Schaffer inside the Capitol building wearing a blue hooded sweatshirt under a tactical vest with a baseball cap that reads “Oath Keepers Lifetime Member.”
On Friday, Schaffer admitted to being among the first individuals to push past the damaged doors and into the Capitol building, forcing officers to retreat. He and others then advanced toward five or six backpedaling Capitol police officers while members of the mob swelled inside of the Capitol and overwhelmed the officers, the DOJ said.
The officers ultimately deployed a chemical irritant to disperse the mob. Schaffer was among the people who were sprayed in the face, after which exited while holding his own bear spray in his hands, the DOJ said.
The guilty plea signals that federal prosecutors see him as a valuable source to cooperate with them as they continue to investigate the militia groups and other extremists involved in the insurrection, The Associated Press reported. It’s estimated that about 800 individuals were involved in the Capitol insurrection.
The Republic requested comment from Schaffer’s attorney on Friday, but did not receive a response.
Schaffer has been jailed, first in Indianapolis and later in Washington D.C., since surrendering to Indiana law enforcement on Jan. 18.
Schaffer is a longtime Indiana resident who has ties to Columbus. He is of moderate fame for his heavy metal band “Iced Earth” and side projects “Demons and Wizards” and “Sons of Liberty.”
Friday marked 100 days since the Jan. 6 insurrection.
