'QAnon Shaman' Jacob Chansley Released From Prison Early

PHOENIX, AZ — Jacob Chansley, the self-proclaimed "QAnon Shaman" who prosecutors characterized as the face of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, has been released early from federal prison and transferred to a halfway house, according to federal prison records.

Chansley, who was sentenced to serve 41 months in prison in November 2021, has been moved to a "residential reentry management" facility in Phoenix with a release date of May 25, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons website. He had served only 16 months of his sentence.

Chansley's attorney, Albert Watkins, confirmed the move in a statement sent to The Hill.

"After serving eleven months in solitary prior to his sentence being imposed, and only 16 months of his sentence thereafter, it is appropriate this gentle and intelligent young man be permitted to move forward with the next stage of what undoubtedly will be a law abiding and enriching life," Watkins said in the statement.

Chansley, who is from Phoenix, was among thousands of former President Donald Trump supporters who stormed the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6, 2021, in an attempt to disrupt a joint session of Congress gathered to certify the 2020 presidential election results.

Chansley, who has since denounced the QAnon movement, was photographed during the riot wearing a furry, horned headdress and was shirtless, wearing body paint and carrying an American flag.

Chansley was one of the first 30 rioters to enter the Capitol through a broken door at 2:14 p.m. on Jan. 6, according to court documents. Prosecutors said he used a bullhorn to "rile up the crowd" while yelling obscenities within the Senate gallery.

Chansley then climbed the dais, took Vice President Mike Pence's seat and snapped selfies in Pence's chair. He left a note on Pence's desk that read, "It's Only A Matter of Time. Justice Is Coming!"

As he was escorted from the building about an hour after entering, Chansley continued to yell "Freedom" into his bullhorn, according to court documents.

Chansley was arrested three days after the insurrection on the Capitol. According to the criminal complaint filed by the U.S. Attorney's office in Washington, D.C., Chansley voluntarily turned himself in to law enforcement.

Prosecutors painted Chansley as a leader in the insurrection, saying in court documents that he "used his social media presence to spread the type of false information and hateful rhetoric that led thousands of rioters to descend on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021."

At the time, Chansley had thousands of followers on several social media platforms, including Facebook, Parler and YouTube.

As part of a plea deal, Chansley pleaded guilty to one count of obstruction of an official proceeding in September 2021, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia.

At his sentencing, Chansley called his actions "indefensible."

"I am in no way shape or form a dangerous criminal," Chansley said. "I am not a violent man. I am not an insurrectionist. I am certainly not a domestic terrorist."

READ MORE:

• 'QAnon Shaman' Serving Time In Safford, Has Appealed Sentence
• 'QAnon Shaman' Sentenced To 41 Months In Prison For Capitol Riot
• 'QAnon Shaman' In Plea Negotiations After Mental Health Diagnosis
  
• 'QAnon Shaman' Jacob Chansley Must Undergo Mental Evaluation
• Arizona's 'QAnon Shaman' Apologizes For Storming The Capitol
• Lawyer For AZ 'QAnon Shaman' Wants Trump To Pardon His Client