Iced Earth’s Jon Schaffer Has Been Released on Bail
Iced Earth’s Jon Schaffer is out on bail after spending nearly three months in jail. The metal guitarist quickly became one of the faces of the 2021 Capitol Riot after a photo of Schaffer made the rounds online.
Schaffer has pleaded guilty to two charges (Obstruction of an official proceeding of Congress and Trespassing on restricted grounds of the Capitol while armed with a deadly or dangerous weapon) though he was originally charged with six crimes.
Though Schaffer could face up to 30 years in prison, CNN reports that prosecutors and Schaffer’s defense team have agreed to recommend between 3.5 and 4.5 years of prison time for the Iced Earth guitarist, though the sentence will ultimately be decided by Judge Amit Mehta.
Schaffer’s release from jail was caught on camera by NewsNation Now. A reporter asked Schaffer a number of questions as he emerged from confinement, but the musician remained silent as he walked with a female companion.
The guitarist’s bail conditions are as follows:
• He must submit to court supervision in Indiana.
• He must surrender his passport and international traveling documents
• He must stay out of Washington D.C., outside of court hearings and attorney meetings
• He will be permitted to travel within the US with notice to pretrial services
• He cannot possess any firearms or explosive devices, even legally. Firearms must be removed from his home.
Schaffer has agreed to a plea deal and has been granted sponsorship from the Witness Protection Program. According to his plea agreement, “Schaffer admitted to being among the first individuals to push past the damaged doors and into the Capitol building, forcing officers to retreat. Schaffer and others advanced toward five or six backpedaling USCP officers while members of the mob swelled inside of the Capitol and overwhelmed the officers. The officers ultimately deployed a chemical irritant to disperse the mob. Schaffer was among the people who were sprayed in the face, after which exited while holding his own bear spray in his hands.” [via Metal Injection]