Metal Anarchy

Marc J. Victor, an attorney representing Iced Earth’s Jon Schaffer, is claiming that his client went through “two months of hell” while he was in custody for his involvement in the treasonous pro-Trump insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on January 6. The lawyer says the other inmates threatened the guitarist and even threw feces and urine at him.

According to Marion County Jail incident reports obtained by the Indianapolis Star, Schaffer was kept in “Administrative Segregation” due to his “high profile status.” Despite this, Victor said several incidents occurred while the musician was behind bars. He said the following during a March detention hearing in the U.S. District Court for the District Of Columbia:

“My client, who is presumed innocent, has just gone through two months of hell where other people were throwing feces at him and urine at him and threatening his life in a horrible, horrible situation. Shame on us, Judge, that this is happening in our justice system.”

A deputy from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office revealed that Schaffer ended up getting moved from his cell block on March 7 after he became fearful “for his personal safety.” That deputy says the guitarist told him that he was having issues with a specific inmate, before making complaints about three inmates, including the aforementioned one, who were allegedly making death threats.

These new details come after Schaffer pleaded guilty to two charges related to his involvement in the insurrection in April. Those charges include obstructing an official proceeding of Congress and trespassing on restricted grounds of the Capitol while armed with a deadly or dangerous weapon.

As part of the deal, the musician entered into a cooperation agreement with the government. On top of that, the Justice Department also agreed to sponsor Schaffer for the witness protection program. CNN previously reported that the guitarist’s legal team have “agreed to recommend that he get between 3.5 and 4.5 years in prison, based on how fruitful his cooperation is with the government.”

You can read more over at the Indianapolis Star.