The so-called “QAnon Shaman” has been released from prison and sent to a halfway house just weeks after Daily Caller co-founder and Fox News host Tucker Carlson released footage from the Capitol riot, according to the Daily Mail.
Thirty-five year-old Jacob Chansley was sentenced in 2021 to 41 months in prison followed by another 36 months of supervised release after entering a plea deal for charges of civil disorder, obstruction of an official proceeding, entering and remaining in a restricted building and other non-violent crimes.
Chansley was not accused of assaulting law enforcement or destroying government property, though prosecutors argued he deserved a harsh sentence because he “showed no remorse in the days after the event,” Politico reported.
Chansley’s attorney, Albert S. Watkins, said Thursday that Chansley has been released from prison after serving just 27 months of his 41-month sentence, according to the Daily Mail.
“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 reportedly said.
“I applaud the decision of the US Bureau of Prison in this regard,” Watkins continued, according to DailyMail.
The announcement comes after Carlson aired footage appearing to show officers escorting Chansley through the halls of the Capitol building on Jan. 6. The footage, which Carlson obtained from Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and aired on March 6, shows Chansley walking with two officers, and at one point passing a group of several officers who do not appear to try to stop or arrest Chansley.
🚨BREAKING: Never before seen video of January 6 shows Jacob Chansley, the QAnon Shaman, being led through the Capitol by police the entire time that he was in the building. pic.twitter.com/rikoRMWezF
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) March 7, 2023
Prosecutors rejected Carlson’s argument that video footage undercut claims of criminal conduct by Chansley, saying Carlson left out incriminating parts. (RELATED: Rogan Livid That QAnon Shaman Going To Jail For A ‘Tour’)
“The televised footage lacks the context of what occurred before and after the footage,” prosecutors wrote in a court filing related to charges against Proud Boys member Dominic Pezzola.
“The televised footage shows Chansley’s movements only from approximately 2:56 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.,” prosecutors continued. “Prior to that time, Chansley had, amongst other acts, breached a police line at 2:09 p.m. with the mob, entered the Capitol less than one minute behind Pezzola during the initial breach of the building, and faced off with members of the U.S. Capitol Police for more than thirty minutes in front of the Senate Chamber doors while elected officials … were fleeing from the chamber.”