Iced Earth’s Jon Schaffer pleads guilty to US Capitol riots charges

Iced Earth member Jon Schaffer has pleaded guilty to two charges relating to his involvement in the US Capitol riots in January.

The 53-year-old guitarist pleaded guilty to obstruction of an official proceeding of Congress and trespassing on restricted grounds of the Capitol while armed with a deadly or dangerous weapon.

He also admitted to carrying bear spray into the Capitol building during the riot, which took place on January 6.

The first charge Schaffer has pleaded guilty to carries up to 20 years in prison, while the second is punishable by up to 10 years behind bars.

Schaffer was originally wanted for ‘unrest-related offenses’ and was photographed among the rioters.

A photo of him appeared on a PowerPoint presentation from the Metropolitan Police in Washington DC.

Schaffer had been originally charged with six offences following his arrest, facing up to 30 years in prison.

His attorneys and government prosecutors have recommended that he is sentenced to 3.5 to 4.5 years in prison, according to CNN.

The musician is the first of the Capitol rioters to plead guilty as part of a plea deal struck with prosecutors.

In his plea deal, Schaffer is described as a ‘founding lifetime member’ of right-wing organisation the Oath Keepers, despite his lawyers previously claiming in court that he did not know much about the group.

Schaffer also ‘admits his belief that the Electoral College results were fraudulent is not a legal justification’ for storming the Capitol.

He also agreed to cooperate with investigators and potentially testify in related criminal cases, according to court proceedings.

Judge Amit Mehta, who is overseeing the case, will sentence Schaffer at a later date.

Schaffer is a long-standing member of Iced Earth, having been the heavy metal band’s guitarist since 1985.

Following his involvement in the Capitol riots, many of his bandmates left the group in protest, leaving only Schaffer and drummer Brent Smedley as the primary members.

Iced Earth has also been dropped by their record company, Century Media, while Schaffer’s side project, Demons & Wizards, has since disbanded.

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