Jon Schaffer, the first person to plead guilty to the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol attack, was sentenced Friday to three years’ probation.
Schaffer is a heavy metal musician.
Previous coverage: Columbus, Indiana musician to be sentenced for Capitol attack
In a statement from Schaffer and his lawyers, he apologized for his actions.
“I profoundly regret my actions on January 6th, 2021,” he said. “I haven’t been a perfect man, but for the majority of my life, I’ve been a very productive man, and have tried to live my life with integrity and a disciplined work ethic.
“I was very concerned about what seemed to be a collapse of our country and the rule of law. When the 2020 election took place and I saw many public officials and media outlets reporting that the election was stolen, my concern deepened. This led to my decision to go to D.C. and have my voice heard. I’m not excusing my impulsive behavior. I was wrong, and I take ownership of my actions.”
He also received 120 hours of community service and $1,000 in restitution on top of a mandatory $200 special assessment.
The sentencing recommendation says Schaffer “was one of the first six people to breach the Capitol through the doors on the northwest side of the building near the Senate Parliamentarian’s office.”
He was inside the Capitol building for less than 10 minutes and didn’t harm officers.
Schaffer turned himself in 11 days after the attack. He was charged with entering the Capitol grounds and doing so with a dangerous weapon — in his case, bear mace.
He pled guilty to both charges on April 16, 2021. He was detained for three months.
The memorandum says that Schaffer was generally cooperative and truthful in helping to find additional suspects, which lessened his recommended sentence.
