QAnon Shaman Jacob Chansley is released early from prison to a halfway house, his lawyer says

The so-called ‘QAnon Shaman’ who pleaded guilty to the January 6 storming of the US Capitol has been released from prison to a halfway house 14 months earlier, in an apparent reduction for good behavior.

Jacob Chansley, 35, pleaded guilty in September 2021 to counts including civil disorder and violent entry to the Capitol and was later sentenced to 41 months in prison.

As of Thursday, Bureau of Prison (BOP) records showed, and his former attorney confirmed in a statement to DailyMail.com, that Chansley was in a Phoenix-area halfway house after serving a total of just under 27 months in jail. have sat.

Chansley’s release comes weeks after his former attorney demanded he be released in light of new video of the U.S. Capitol riot, but his move to the halfway house appears to be unrelated, a former federal prosecutor who has not was part of the case to DailyMail.com.

While the reason for the transfer is unclear, the former prosecutor said it was doubtful that public pressure played a role.

Chansley is followed by a police officer from the Capitol on January 6, 2021

Federal prisoners can receive a 15 percent reduction in their prison sentence for good behavior behind bars, and can also serve the last 12 months of their sentence in shelters, at the discretion of the Bureau of Prisons.

In a statement to DailyMail.com, Albert S. Watkins, the attorney who handled Chansley’s plea and sentencing, welcomed his transfer to a shelter.

“Having spent 11 months in solitary confinement before serving his sentence, and just 16 months into his sentence afterward, it is fitting that this gentle and intelligent young man be allowed to move on to the next phase of what will no doubt be a law-abiding and enriching life,” said Watkins.

“I applaud the decision of the US Bureau of Prison in this regard,” Watkins added.

Bureau of Prison records confirmed that Chansley is in the custody of Residential Reentry Management’s field office in Phoenix, which contracts with shelters to help inmates prepare for reentry into society.

Watkins declined to comment on the reason for Chansley’s early release, saying, “This was a decision by the US Bureau of Prisons. I can’t 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 police at the Capitol during the riot.

However, former federal prosecutor Neama Ramani, the president of West Coast Trial Lawyers, told DailyMail.com it was unlikely that the intense investigation into Chansley’s case would have had any impact on his early release.

“I don’t think it has anything to do with media [or] public pressure,” says Ramani, who is not involved in the case.

He noted that the release of inmates to shelters for the last 12 months of their sentence was “sort of a routine for the Bureau of Prisons,” especially for inmates without a long criminal record.

“Despite the violent nature of the Capitol riots, most of the rioters had little to no criminal history,” Ramani said.

Tucker Carlson released footage from the Capitol on Jan. 6, including clips showing the “QAnon Shaman,” Jacob Chansley (above), apparently being “escorted” into the building

Albert Watkins (right) represented Jacob Chansley in court. Chansley pleaded guilty, Watkins said, unaware of footage showing him at the Capitol

Earlier this month, Watkins had argued that Chansley should be released after Fox News host Tucker Carlson aired previously unseen footage of the riot.

Carlson used his Fox News show to broadcast clips showing Chansley at the U.S. Capitol.

Chansley appears to be escorted into the building by Capitol police officers, while other officers allow the Trump supporter to pass, bare-chested and horns.

During Carlson’s broadcast, Chansley’s former attorney said he had not been shown the new footage, which the conservative news anchor said was “obviously exculpatory.”

Carlson used the footage to argue that the rioters were “tourists” 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 always accompanied by police.

For example, a statement signed by signed by Chansley and his attorney contradicts the suggestion that he was ‘escorted’ by the police during the riot.

The statement admits that Chansley entered the Capitol through a broken door as part of a mob “not legally 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 several times to leave the Capitol, he disobeyed and actively urged his fellow rioters.

The statement details Chansley’s interactions with officers during the breakthrough, but also points out that he “only entered the Gallery of the Senate.”

Watkins has previously said his former client disowns the “QAnon” conspiracy theory, preferring to be known simply as “the Shaman.”