‘QAnon Shaman’ Jacob Chansley released early from federal prison

Jacob Chansley, one of the most notorious faces of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, was released early from federal prison and sent to a reentry center, several media reported.

The infamous rioter, also known as “QAnon Shaman” for being a vocal believer of the conspiracy theory that claimed Democratic actors were involved in child-trafficking, was sentenced to 41 months in prison, but only served 16.

Chansley received an early release because of his good behavior while in prison, Albert Watkins, who represented Chansley through his plea and sentencing told NPR.

More than 1,000 people have been charged for the Capitol riot, which caused "the most wide-ranging investigation" in the history of the Justice Department, according to NBC News. But, who else has been convicted? These are some of the most famous ones:

Six people affiliated with the Oath Keepers, a far-right militia, were convicted of various charges related to the Capitol insurrection.

Before Barnett, Stewart Rhodes, the founder and leader of the Oath Keepers, was found guilty of seditious conspiracy, a crime which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years.

Timothy Hale-Cusanelli, a former US Army reservist and alleged Nazi sympathizer, was given four years in jail after being convicted on five counts, including obstruction of an official proceeding.

Image: CNBC Television

A federal judge sentenced Guy Wesley Reffitt, a member of a militia called the "Texas Three Percenters", to more than seven years in prison.

Reffit was found guilty by a jury of five felony charges, including transporting and carrying a firearm on Capitol grounds, interfering with Capitol Police and obstructing an official proceeding.

Reffitt was also convicted of obstructing justice for threatening his daughter and son. Reffitt’s son took the stand to testify that his father had become radicalized in the months leading up to the attack, and, in an attempt to dissuade them from speaking to authorities, he told them that “traitors get shot.”

Judge Dabney L. Friedrich also ordered Reffit to pay $2,000 in restitution and receive mental health treatment.

Image: Nik Shuliahin/Unsplash

Because Reffit did not plead guilty like hundreds of others arrested in connection with the attack and went to trial, Judge Friedrich said, the sentencing guidelines for his case were two years more than if he had reached a plea deal.

Before Reffit, a sentence of just over five years was given to Robert Palmer, a man who had pleaded guilty to assaulting an officer with a fire extinguisher.

The obstruction of an official proceeding is a softer charge than sedition or insurrection, but easier for prosecutors to prove. It carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Other people have been charged with offences such as assaulting the police, vandalism, disorderly conduct and trespass.

Prosecutors have so far brought cases against rioters, rather than anyone who could be accused of inciting or coordinating them. However, the Jan. 6 committee, formed to investigate the riots, has concluded that Trump incited the violence that resulted on the Capitol attack.

Nevertheless, it’ll be up to the Department of Justice to decide wether the evidence presented in the Jan. 6 hearings is sufficient to file criminal charges against Trump.