A sentencing date has been set for for Iced Earth guitarist Jon Schaffer in relation to his involvement in the The United States Capitol Building riot that transpired on January 06th of 2021. Schaffer has already entered guilty pleas to the charges of obstruction of an official proceeding of Congress, and trespassing on restricted grounds of the Capitol while armed with a deadly or dangerous weapon (bear spray).
The pleas he entered with part of an overall plea bargain that found several other charges against him dropped. The deal was struck in light of his willingness to cooperate with prosecutors to turn over information on the inner workings of the Oath Keepers.
Numerous members of that faction have faced criminal charges for their alleged roles in the aforementioned riot. Schaffer acknowledged that he was a “a founding, lifetime member of the Oath Keepers” per his plea deal.
The extent of Schaffer‘s sentence will hinge upon how beneficial his cooperation with the authorities has been. Schaffter was previously said to potentially be looking at three and a half to four and a half years in prison. Schaffer‘s sentence is currently scheduled to be handed down on February 20th, 2024.
Schaffer has also been the target of a civil lawsuit filed by the District Of Columbia for his participation in the riots.
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