WASHINGTON — A heavy metal guitarist who was part of the far-right extremist group Oath Keepers when he joined the riot at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021avoided additional time behind bars when he was sentenced to probation Friday for his role in the attack.
Jon Ryan Schaffer, who founded the band Iced Earth, was the first defendant on Jan. 6 to plead guilty to federal charges in 2021. The judge who handed down his sentence and prosecutors credited Schaffer for his decision to quickly accept responsibility and cooperate with Justice Department officials investigating the riot.
“It says a lot about who you are, how quickly you came forward to accept responsibility,” U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta told him during a hearing at Washington’s federal courthouse before sentencing him to three years’ probation.
While in court, Schaffer apologized to his fans and said he deeply regrets the “pain and shame” his actions have caused.
“You have my word: I will not let you down,” Schaffer told the judge.
He pleaded guilty in April 2021 in a deal with prosecutors to two charges: obstructing an official proceeding, and entering and remaining in a restricted building with a dangerous or deadly weapon. He was not accused of participating in any pre-planning or coordination with other Oath Keepers members. who have been convicted in separate cases of seditious conspiracy and other serious allegations.
Schaffer came to Washington in November 2020 for the ‘Million MAGA March’ to protest the outcome of the election. He told a journalist there that a “group of thugs and criminals have hijacked this country,” adding: “We see you, and you” “As we go down, mark my words,” according to the court papers.
On Jan. 6, Schaffer wore a hat that read “Oath Keepers Lifetime Member,” a tactical vest and a can of bear spray. He was one of the first people to enter the Capitol through the doors on the northwest side of the building, prosecutors say.
He was inside for about 10 minutes, did not participate in any violence or destruction and has already spent about three months in jail after his arrest, his lawyer Marc Victor said. Schaffer believed the 2020 election was fraudulent and that the country was “on the brink of a takeover” when he stormed the Capitol, Victor told the judge.
“He was wrong, but he believed it,” Victor said. “He was misled by people in the executive branch.”
More than 1,500 people have been charged with federal crimes related to the Capitol riot. About 1,200 of them have pleaded guilty or been convicted after trials decided by judges and juries. And more than 1,000 of the defendants have been convicted, with roughly two-thirds receiving prison sentences ranging from a few days to 22 years.
