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- Jacob Chansley, 35, was released on Thursday after serving 27 months in prison
- He had been sentenced to 41 months after pleading guilty in September 2021
- His move to a halfway house appears to be routine under federal guidelines
The so-called ‘QAnon Shaman’ who pleaded guilty to storming the US Capitol on January 6 has been released from prison to a halfway house 14 months early, in an apparent reduction for good behavior.
Jacob Chansley, 35, pleaded guilty in September 2021 to civil disorder and violent entry to the Capitol, among other charges, and was later sentenced to 41 months in federal prison.
Earlier this week, Chansley was transferred from FCI Stafford federal prison in Arizona to community confinement in the Phoenix area, after serving just under 27 total months in prison, a Bureau of Prisons (BOP) spokesman confirmed in a statement to DailyMail.com on Thursday.
The spokesman declined to comment on the reason for the transfer, but pointed generally to federal laws that allow for good-conduct sentence reductions, as well as release to a halfway house for the final 12 months of a sentence.
Chansley’s release comes weeks after his former attorney demanded he be freed in light of new video from the Capitol riot, but his move to the halfway house appears to be unconnected.
A former federal prosecutor unconnected with the case said it was doubtful public pressure played a role in Chansley’s transfer, noting the move appears ‘kind of routine’ under BOP guidelines.
‘For safety, and security reasons, we do not discuss the conditions of confinement for any inmate, including transfers or release plans, nor do we specify an individual’s specific location while in community confinement,’ the BOP spokesman said.
‘Community confinement’ can refer to either house arrest or a halfway house, but Chansley’s former attorney said that he had been moved to a halfway house.
The Bureau of Prison confirmed that Chansley is in the custody of the Residential Reentry Management field office in Phoenix, which contracts with halfway houses to help inmates prepare to reenter society. His release date is set for May 25.
Federal inmates can receive a 15 percent reduction in their prison sentence for good behavior behind bars, and can also serve the final 12 months of their sentences in halfway houses at the discretion of the Bureau of Prisons.
With his elaborate garb and face paint, Chansley became known as the face of the riot on January 6, 2021, in which supporters of former President Donald Trump illegally entered the US Capitol and temporarily disrupted the certification of Joe Biden’s election to the presidency.
In a statement to DailyMail.com, Albert S. Watkins, the attorney who handled Chansley’s plea and sentencing, applauded his transfer to a halfway house.
‘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,’ said Watkins.
‘I applaud the decision of the US Bureau of Prison in this regard,’ added Watkins.
Watkins declined to speculate on the reason for Chansley’s early release, saying: ‘This was a decision of the US Bureau of Prisons. I cannot speak for the US Bureau of Prisons.’
In recent weeks, prominent figures including billionaire Elon Musk had called for Chansley’s release, citing new footage that appeared to show him being ‘escorted’ by cops inside the Capitol during the riot.
However, former federal prosecutor Neama Ramani, the president of West Coast Trial Lawyers, told DailyMail.com that it was unlikely the intense scrutiny on Chansley’s case had any impact on his early release.
‘I don’t think it has anything to do with media [or] public pressure,’ said Ramani, who is not connected with the case.
He noted that release of inmates to halfway houses for the final 12 months of their sentences was ‘kind of routine for the Bureau of Prisons,’ particularly for inmates without a lengthy criminal history.
‘Despite the violent nature of the Capitol riots, most of the rioters had little to no criminal history,’ said Ramani.
Earlier this month, Watkins had argued that Chansley should be freed after Fox News host Tucker Carlson aired previously unseen footage from the riot.
Carlson used his Fox News show to broadcast clips showing Chansley inside the US Capitol.
Chansley appears to be escorted inside the building by Capitol Police officers, while other officers allow the chest-baring, horn-wearing Trump supporter to pass.
On Carlson’s broadcast, Chansley’s former lawyer said he had not been shown the new footage, which the conservative news anchor said was ‘clearly exculpatory’.
Carlson used the footage to argue that the rioters were ‘sightseers’, and ‘mostly peaceful’.
However, other evidence omitted by Carlson shows that Chansley entered the Capitol without permission, was repeatedly asked to leave the building, and was not accompanied by cops at all times.
For instance, a statement signed by signed by Chansley and his attorney contradicts the suggestion that he was ‘escorted’ by cops throughout the riot.
The statement admits that Chansley entered the Capitol through a broken door as part of a crowd that ‘was not lawfully authorized to enter or remain in the building’ and that he was one of the first 30 rioters inside.
It also notes that although officers asked Chansley and others multiple times to leave the Capitol, he did not comply and actively urged on his fellow rioters.
The statement describes Chansley’s interactions with officers during the breach, but also points out that he ‘entered the Gallery of the Senate alone.’
