Record at a Glance
- Category
- Jan 6th
- Age in NPR record
- 52
- Location
- Columbus, Indiana
- Charges
- Obstruction of an Official Proceeding; Entering and Remaining in a Restricted Building or Grounds with a Deadly or Dangerous Weapon
- Case status
- Pleaded guilty; Sentenced
- Presidential action
- Pardon
Case Summary
Federal investigators believe Jon Schaffer sprayed U.S. Capitol Police with "bear spray" as he and other rioters forced their way into the Capitol building. Photographs from that day allegedly show Schaffer wearing a tactical vest with a baseball cap that read "Oath Keepers Lifetime Member." The Oath Keepers is a far-right militia that is known to target and recruit law enforcement and military personnel. According to court documents, Schaffer traveled to Washington, D.C., with other Oath Keepers shortly after the 2020 election to participate in the "Million MAGA March." In an interview that day, he was asked if he expected the protests to be violent. "If somebody wants to bring violence, I think there’s a lot of us here that are ready for it," he said. "We don’t want that, but if they bring it we’re going to respond to that, trust me.” Schaffer is the front man for the heavy metal band "Iced Earth," and according to court documents "has long held far-right extremist views." He has referred to himself as an "anarchist" and called the government a "criminal enterprise." Schaffer was originally charged with 6 counts: Knowingly Entering or Remaining in any Restricted Building or Grounds Without Lawful Authority; Disrupting the Orderly Conduct of Government Business; Knowingly Engages in an Act of Physical Violence Against Any Person or Property in any Restricted Building or Grounds; Violent Entry and Disorderly Conduct in a Capitol Building; Engage in an Act of Physical Violence in a Capitol Building; Parade, Demonstrate, or Picket in a Capitol Building. Those charges were dropped as part of a plea agreement and he pleaded guilty to two lesser charges.
Case History
Schaffer pleaded Guilty to: Obstruction of an Official Proceeding and Entering and Remaining in a Restricted Building or Grounds with a Deadly or Dangerous Weapon. Sentenced on 10/25/2024 to 36 months probation; $1,000 restitution; $200 special assessment; 120 hours community service. Schaffer received a full pardon on January 20, 2025
Sources
- Primary Documentation
NPR Jan. 6 Defendant DatabaseNPR - Primary Documentation
Underlying court recordCourt record linked by NPR
Case summary, charges, procedural updates and image are drawn from the NPR Jan. 6 archive snapshot dated 2026-09-25 unless otherwise indicated.