JON SCHAFFER On His Involvement In U.S. Capitol Riot: 'I Was Wrong' And I 'Made A Terrible Mistake'

[NeonKnite]

https://blabbermouth.net/news/jon-schaf ... le-mistake

ICED EARTH's founding guitarist Jon Schaffer has released his first statement since being sentenced to three years of probation and 120 hours of community service in connection with his involvement in the January 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol. He will also have to pay $1,000 in restitution and a $200 financial assessment.

Earlier today (Friday, October 25),Jon issued the following statement via his attorneys Marc J. Victor and Andrew Marcantel of the Attorneys For Freedom Law Firm: "To my family, friends, and fans worldwide:

"I profoundly regret my actions on January 6th, 2021. 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 deeply love our country and the founding principles that have inspired people from all over the world to look at the USA as a beacon of hope for all of humanity. Having traveled the world for over 30 years and having performed in approximately 100 countries, it was always a great feeling and relief when the airplane would safely land at home on US soil.

"When the global pandemic came upon us, and chaos ensued all around the US in 2020, 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. I own the fact that I made a huge mistake, and I wish I never would have gone there. In fact, the consequences have been devastating on my life, family, friends, business, colleagues and business partners.

"I knew immediately that I had let my emotions get the best of me and made a terrible mistake. I drove home to Indiana the following morning on Thursday, January 7th, 2021. On the 8th I found my attorneys, and at my request they immediately reached out to the authorities. I willingly surrendered and cooperated with authorities. Initially, I was charged with multiple serious federal felony offenses and feared I may spend the rest of my life in prison. I spent several months in custody following my self-surrender. I was placed in solitary confinement with horrendous conditions, which was an extremely traumatic experience. I became the first person of the hundreds of co-defendants to enter a guilty plea, and have now been sentenced to probation.

"Until now, I have resisted the strong urge to issue a public statement due to my ongoing cooperation and the wishes of federal authorities. This extended period of silence has added additional challenges to my life as a public person. Since the beginning, I wanted to express my remorse for my actions and address the legitimate concerns of my fans worldwide. I watched as one media outlet after the next dragged my reputation through the mud and condemned me for not making any statement. However, I tried to be as productive as possible in lieu of my very damaged reputation and career.

"This whole situation has been extremely difficult. However, I know that I have become a better man because of it. I used to stay so busy that I didn't have much time for self-reflection. In the last three and a half years that's mostly what I've done. I have become a member of a wonderful church and improved myself spiritually, mentally, and physically. This personal revival has inspired me to continue writing and recording music. I'm certain there will be a very positive outlook in my future artistic creations.

"To my fans who have continued to support me throughout this deeply embarrassing ordeal, I want to apologize for letting you down and thank you for keeping me going. To those fans who I have lost due to my decisions that day, I certainly understand. I humbly ask everyone to allow me to demonstrate through my actions how far I've come. I wish to continue to use my art to unite people, and never to divide.

"Sincerely, Jon Schaffer".

"It says a lot about who you are in how quickly you came forward to accept responsibility," U.S. District judge Amit Mehta told Schaffer during today's sentencing hearing.

Schaffer apologized to his fans and said he deeply regrets the "pain and embarrassment" his actions have caused. "I'm sorry I let you down and I will work hard to rebuild your trust. You have my word: I will not let you down," Schaffer told the judge.

Schaffer's attorney Marc Victor told the judge the musician believed the 2020 election was fraudulent and that the country was "on the verge of a takeover" when he entered the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.

"He was wrong but that's what he believed," Victor said. "He was misled by people in the executive branch."

Earlier this month, the U.S. government requested that Schaffer be sentenced to three years of supervised probation, as well as an order that he pay $2,000 in restitution and the mandatory $200 special assessment. According to the government's October 14 sentencing memorandum, which was obtained by BLABBERMOUTH.NET, "Such a sentence would be sufficient to reflect the seriousness of this offense while also accounting for the three months defendant was detained following his arrest, the defendant's early acceptance of responsibility, and the substantial assistance he has provided to law enforcement pursuant to his cooperation plea agreement."

The memorandum went on to describe the extent of Schaffer's involvement in the events of January 6, 2021.

"The defendant 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," the document reads. "Schaffer wore a tactical vest and a hat that read, 'Oath Keepers Lifetime Member,' and he was carrying a can of bear spray. The menacing conduct of Schaffer and the others at the front of the line forced officers to retreat and allowed the mob to start pouring into the Capitol through this entrance.

"The defendant’s participation in the attack on the Capitol was not random; it was the culmination of weeks, if not months of increasingly violent calls by Elmer Stewart Rhodes III, the leader of the Oath Keepers, to oppose the lawful transfer of power from Donald Trump to Joseph Biden. Schaffer was privy to some of these communications, as an Oath Keepers member, and he marched with the Oath Keepers during an event in D.C. in November 2020 to oppose the results of the election. At the same time, Schaffer did not participate in the Oath Keepers' planning and coordination for the attack on the Capitol (he was not part of any of the group's encrypted chats for the January 6 operation),and he did not enter the Capitol with them on January 6. For this reason, Schaffer was not charged with participating in a conspiracy with other Oath Keepers. Furthermore, Schaffer was inside the Capitol for less than ten minutes and did not directly harm or seek to harm any officers or property during this offense. Schaffer also has been cooperative with law enforcement since he turned himself in eleven days after the attack, proffering several times with law enforcement and providing fulsome, credible, and relevant information.

"On April 16, 2021, the defendant fully accepted responsibility and pled guilty, pursuant to a cooperation plea agreement, to one count of Obstruction of an Official Proceeding, and one count of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon. The defendant was the first person to plead guilty to participating in the January 6 attack, and he agreed to permit the details of his cooperation plea agreement to be made public."

Last month, a federal judge agreed to push back Schaffer's sentencing hearing for the fifth time, this time to October 25 from the previously announced September 13.

Schaffer was initially scheduled to be sentenced on February 20, but his sentencing hearing has been delayed five times — first to April, then July, August, September and eventually late October.

The latest decision to postpone Schaffer's sentencing came less than three months after the Supreme Court sided with a January 6 Capitol riot defendant in a ruling that could affect hundreds of prosecutions, including the criminal case against Schaffer. U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves asked the judge to delay's Schaffer's hearing in light of the Supreme Court decision.

U.S. District Judge Amit P. Mehta had previously moved Schaffer's initial sentencing date from February 20, as the now-56-year-old ICED EARTH guitarist was scheduled to undergo an undisclosed medical procedure "with the need for a recovery afterwards."

In January 2022, Mehta granted the U.S. government's request to share sealed materials from the case involving Schaffer's role in the U.S. Capitol riot case as discovery to the three main Oath Keepers cases.

In May 2023, Mehta handed down an 18-year prison sentence for the leader of the Oath Keepers, Stewart Rhodes, for his efforts to overturn the 2020 election that ended with the violent attack on the U.S. Capitol.

As part of his April 2021 plea deal, Jon entered into a cooperation agreement with the government.

The government agreed not to oppose Schaffer's release during the sentencing phase.

Although Schaffer was initially charged with six crimes, including engaging in an act of physical violence and targeting police with bear spray, he pleaded guilty to only 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. The first charge is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, while the second carries up to a 10-year prison term. Each of the charges carry fines of up to $250,000.

In his plea agreement, Schaffer acknowledged that on January 6, 2021 he was in Washington to attend the "Stop The Steal" rally at the Ellipse in Washington, D.C. to protest the results of the presidential election, which he believed were fraudulent. Schaffer wore a tactical vest and carried bear spray, a dangerous weapon and chemical irritant used to ward off bears. When the rally finished, Schaffer joined a large crowd that marched from the Ellipse to the Capitol, where a joint session of Congress, presided over by Vice President Michael Pence, was in session to certify the electoral college vote results. Shortly after 2:00 p.m., members of the mob forced entry into the Capitol building, disrupting the joint session and causing members of Congress and the Vice President to be evacuated from the House and Senate chambers.

In his plea agreement, Schaffer admitted that after arriving on Capitol grounds, he walked past barriers intended to restrict access to the public and to a set of locked doors on the Capitol's west side. At approximately 2:40 p.m., Schaffer positioned himself at the front of a crowd that broke open a set of doors being guarded by four U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) officers wearing riot gear. 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 he exited while holding his own bear spray in his hands.

As part of the plea deal, Schaffer agreed to cooperate with investigators and potentially testify in related criminal cases, according to CNN. In return for Schaffer's assistance, the Justice Department might later urge the judge to show leniency during his sentencing.

Also as part of the agreement, the Justice Department has offered to sponsor Schaffer for the witness protection program.

The Indiana chapter of the Oath Keepers distanced itself from Schaffer after his arrest, claiming he was not a member of the local group. But the national organization, which sold lifetime memberships for $1,200, had not commented on his alleged affiliation with the group.

At a November 2020 Donald Trump rally in Washington, D.C., Schaffer was videotaped walking behind a Florida couple, Kelly Meggs and Connie Meggs, who were accused of being among 10 members of the Oath Keepers to have played a leading role in the Capitol assault. In May 2023, Kelly Meggs was convicted of seditious conspiracy for his participation in the January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol and was sentenced to spend 12 years in prison.

Following the initial reports that Schaffer was involved in the riot, his ICED EARTH bandmates distanced themselves from his actions. Singer Stu Block and bassist Luke Appleton later posted separate statements on social media announcing their resignations. BLIND GUARDIAN frontman Hansi Kürsch also quit DEMONS & WIZARDS, his long-running project with Schaffer. The allegations also apparently affected Schaffer's relationship with his longtime record label Century Media, which had released albums from both ICED EARTH and DEMONS & WIZARDS. As of mid-January 2021, the Century Media artist roster page did not list either band.

[NeonKnite]

This is abhorrent. People have paid more fines and done more community service for traffic violations.

Fuck this guy.

[Bono Nettencourt]

Blah blah blah... enjoy a deeper level of obscurity than you were already laboring under, shithead. You earned it.

[Gibsonite]

Pays to be a rat I guess

[daveg]

Dude just needed to keep his mouth shut. He just reminded everyone that he was in an obscure band..a criminal.. and a snitch. We had pretty much forgotten about him

Good luck with that apology Jon

[kc primo]

Trump/Vance wins….that is unless
the Dems successfully kill the guy or cheat like hell
Anyone who votes for Kamala after her town hall meeting in Pennsylvania needs their head examined or cracked with a baseball bat
She’s absolute garbage, especially on the world stage against China, Russia, Iran, North Korea.
Her word salad is horrendous and shows her weakness
to the world. Dumbed down on a whole different level

[ParaDime77]

When your Fox News fantasies take shape and cause you to fully destroy your life.

[Danzig in the Dark]

Trump/Vance wins….that is unless
the Dems successfully kill the guy or cheat like hell
Anyone who votes for Kamala after her town hall meeting in Pennsylvania needs their head examined or cracked with a baseball bat
She’s absolute garbage, especially on the world stage against China, Russia, Iran, North Korea.
Her word salad is horrendous and shows her weakness
to the world. Dumbed down on a whole different level

What a weird, bizarre rant.

[ParaDime77]

When your Fox News fantasies take shape and cause you to fully destroy your life.

Hopefully some of these other rockers out there take notice with any future intentions of doing the same.

[kc primo]

Wow….can’t believe some of you Dem simpletons really like the last 3.5 years?
You can’t make this up lol.
Ok nothing to see here …Just illegals overrunning our borders killing our real estate affordability, jobs, cost of living, education (foreigners apparently deserve translators at OUR expense, don’t forget the drug cartels and fentanyl but the Dems say everyone is welcome, border IS secure, and Biden was sharp as an arrow.
Crazy times we live in…..Asylum is defined as the nearest country to that border, why is Mexico not taking care of these refugees from Central America? Instead they give them manuals on how to sneak across our borders and take advantage of being an illegal that’s taken care of Better than our Veterans

[Charles Bukaki]

Wow….can’t believe some of you Dem simpletons really like the last 3.5 years?
You can’t make this up lol.
Ok nothing to see here …Just illegals overrunning our borders killing our real estate affordability, jobs, cost of living, education (foreigners apparently deserve translators at OUR expense, don’t forget the drug cartels and fentanyl but the Dems say everyone is welcome, border IS secure, and Biden was sharp as an arrow.
Crazy times we live in…..Asylum is defined as the nearest country to that border, why is Mexico not allowing these refugees??? Instead they give them manuals on how to sneak across our borders take advantage of being an illegal

I'll bet you fantasize about getting fucked in the ass by your lord and savior donald trump.

[kc primo]

Pat yourself on the back Charles, you are the one a$s clown who ice skates uphill and claims he won the race

[demolition23]

Trump/Vance wins….that is unless
the Dems successfully kill the guy or cheat like hell
Anyone who votes for Kamala after her town hall meeting in Pennsylvania needs their head examined or cracked with a baseball bat
She’s absolute garbage, especially on the world stage against China, Russia, Iran, North Korea.
Her word salad is horrendous and shows her weakness
to the world. Dumbed down on a whole different level

If there’s one thing you would know, it’s word salad.

[Charles Bukaki]

Pat yourself on the back Charles, you are the one a$s clown who ice skates uphill and claims he won the race

I'm not the one backing a fucking loser.

[demolition23]

Love how Schaffer presents it like he was just swept up in the moment, but then you remember he showed up in Osth Keepers gear, carrying bear spray (:lol:) and was one of the first guys through the door.

[tym]

I find it so bizarre that people will just do the sheep thing, and follow and believe what ever a famous person says or does. Its like thinking for themselves is almost impossible.

Friend and I were talking about Joe Rogan and how much shit he took for his stance on covid. He was, I THINK another anti vaxer. Well, if you wanna take medical advice from some dude that has a pod cast, you kinda deserve what you get.

So if the famous person is talking about this or that subject, ask yourself, could this put me in jail? Or get shot by security? Is believing this or that famous person when it comes to your health, are you willing to pay the price if there wrong??

If your willing to buy into Trump Lies, and be willing to be put on youtube trying to defend trump, and how he is not full of shit, dont be surprised when people see it, and laugh cause you just look stupid.

My favorite Lie that People Repeat of Trump, or at least I THINK he said it??? States that allow abortion, are letting women have that abortion up to 2 months AFTER the baby is born. Jesus Crist, thats just a Whole new level of fucking stupid. Jesus.

The one about people eating Cats and Dogs, and taking stealing people's pets to cook for supper, for sure comes in a close second, and that dumb fucker said it during a televised debate. Holy shit.

[inextrem]

Trump/Vance wins….that is unless
the Dems successfully kill the guy or cheat like hell
Anyone who votes for Kamala after her town hall meeting in Pennsylvania needs their head examined or cracked with a baseball bat
She’s absolute garbage, especially on the world stage against China, Russia, Iran, North Korea.
Her word salad is horrendous and shows her weakness
to the world. Dumbed down on a whole different level

What a weird, bizarre rant.

Yep, terrible word salad

[Jason Jennifer Leigh]

You haven’t seen anything yet, just wait until Kamala loses (IF she loses) … democrats will burn it down and they’ll bring guns not flags.

[Dyslexicheart]

Pat yourself on the back Charles, you are the one a$s clown who ice skates uphill and claims he won the race

Do you have a head injury of some sort?

[Anthrax442]

Wow….can’t believe some of you Dem simpletons really like the last 3.5 years?
You can’t make this up lol.
Ok nothing to see here …Just illegals overrunning our borders killing our real estate affordability, jobs, cost of living, education (foreigners apparently deserve translators at OUR expense, don’t forget the drug cartels and fentanyl but the Dems say everyone is welcome, border IS secure, and Biden was sharp as an arrow.
Crazy times we live in…..Asylum is defined as the nearest country to that border, why is Mexico not taking care of these refugees from Central America? Instead they give them manuals on how to sneak across our borders and take advantage of being an illegal that’s taken care of Better than our Veterans

Okay, there's some real OAN nuttery going on here, but I'll clue you in on something. "Illegals" have zero to do with real estate affordability. What has happened is that houses have been allowed to be purchased by corporations/foreign nationals/millionaires as "investment property", meaning that they trade houses like normal people stocks, so that millions of properties sit vacant that COULD be being used/owed by real people. This whole notion that illegals somehow have the money to buy up desirable property so that "hard working Americans" are priced out of the market is so goddamn ridiculous that I don't even know what to do with it. Do you know how hard it is to get a mortgage for a REGULAR person, much less an illegal?

But go on, keep licking the boots of the rich that are causing this problem.

[gtrjay]

Have had the best stock returns in decades the last 3.5 years. Have been in market nearly 30 years and have fantastic record returns the last few years. Nothing sexy either. S&P 500 mutual funds. Slight rebalance 2x year.

Thanks

[Wednesday 13 Fan]

Wow….can’t believe some of you Dem simpletons really like the last 3.5 years?
You can’t make this up lol.
Ok nothing to see here …Just illegals overrunning our borders killing our real estate affordability, jobs, cost of living, education (foreigners apparently deserve translators at OUR expense, don’t forget the drug cartels and fentanyl but the Dems say everyone is welcome, border IS secure, and Biden was sharp as an arrow.
Crazy times we live in…..Asylum is defined as the nearest country to that border, why is Mexico not taking care of these refugees from Central America? Instead they give them manuals on how to sneak across our borders and take advantage of being an illegal that’s taken care of Better than our Veterans

You'd have to be a special kind of stupid to think that "foreigners" are responsible for high real estate prices.

You also are completely clueless on the topic of asylum.

[DemonFilth2001]

Wow….can’t believe some of you Dem simpletons really like the last 3.5 years?
You can’t make this up lol.
Ok nothing to see here …Just illegals overrunning our borders killing our real estate affordability, jobs, cost of living, education (foreigners apparently deserve translators at OUR expense, don’t forget the drug cartels and fentanyl but the Dems say everyone is welcome, border IS secure, and Biden was sharp as an arrow.
Crazy times we live in…..Asylum is defined as the nearest country to that border, why is Mexico not taking care of these refugees from Central America? Instead they give them manuals on how to sneak across our borders and take advantage of being an illegal that’s taken care of Better than our Veterans

You'd have to be a special kind of stupid to think that "foreigners" are responsible for high real estate prices.

You also are completely clueless on the topic of asylum.

I like rants like his. I laffed.

[Danzig in the Dark]

Wow….can’t believe some of you Dem simpletons really like the last 3.5 years?
You can’t make this up lol.
Ok nothing to see here …Just illegals overrunning our borders killing our real estate affordability, jobs, cost of living, education (foreigners apparently deserve translators at OUR expense, don’t forget the drug cartels and fentanyl but the Dems say everyone is welcome, border IS secure, and Biden was sharp as an arrow.
Crazy times we live in…..Asylum is defined as the nearest country to that border, why is Mexico not taking care of these refugees from Central America? Instead they give them manuals on how to sneak across our borders and take advantage of being an illegal that’s taken care of Better than our Veterans

You'd have to be a special kind of stupid to think that "foreigners" are responsible for high real estate prices.

You also are completely clueless on the topic of asylum.

He's not even a special kind of stupid. There are millions of Trumptards. He's such a failure at life, he can't even excel at stupidity.

[NeonKnite]

You haven’t seen anything yet, just wait until Kamala loses (IF she loses) … democrats will burn it down and they’ll bring guns not flags.

Trump already is saying if he loses the election is rigged.

Now kindly, go fuck yourself mouth breather.

[NeonKnite]

Have had the best stock returns in decades the last 3.5 years. Have been in market nearly 30 years and have fantastic record returns the last few years. Nothing sexy either. S&P 500 mutual funds. Slight rebalance 2x year.

Thanks

My 401k is up over 200 grand since January 2023.

[NeonKnite]

You'd have to be a special kind of stupid to think that "foreigners" are responsible for high real estate prices.

Yea, nothing to do with private equity firms buying up shit tons of it for investment purposes.

It's impacted the housing market so significantly in Canada that they've enacted legislation to curb it.

But you can't get MAGA morons to understand real cause and effect facts.

[Bono Nettencourt]

Wow….can’t believe some of you Dem simpletons really like the last 3.5 years?
You can’t make this up lol.
Ok nothing to see here …Just illegals overrunning our borders killing our real estate affordability, jobs, cost of living, education (foreigners apparently deserve translators at OUR expense, don’t forget the drug cartels and fentanyl but the Dems say everyone is welcome, border IS secure, and Biden was sharp as an arrow.
Crazy times we live in…..Asylum is defined as the nearest country to that border, why is Mexico not taking care of these refugees from Central America? Instead they give them manuals on how to sneak across our borders and take advantage of being an illegal that’s taken care of Better than our Veterans

You'd have to be a special kind of stupid to think that "foreigners" are responsible for high real estate prices.

Especially illegal aliens working low-wage jobs for cash under the table.

This clown fits the Trumptard profile to a T - lifelong loser who's looking for someone to make things worse for those beneath him on the socioeconomic ladder so he can feel better about his own pathetic recuse for a life.

[Bono Nettencourt]

Fucking loser.

[MetalSludgeCEO]

This guy is a huge idiot, and the only reason he's saying this, is because reality has smacked him in the face. He was literally on the verge of spending MANY years in prison.

Now he will forever be on a Government watch list and so much for all of his American bravado... now he's going to be a good little bitch and shut his mouth.

I promise... all of the loud mouth nonsense he was screaming about for years, is all in his past.

He's no different than those asshats who get pulled over by the Police for speeding and pulls the "Sovereign Citizen" card.

All of those people are morons. ALL of them!

$tEvil