Metal Anarchy

According to The Republic, Iced Earth’s Jon Schaffer is now scheduled to be sentenced on April 5 for his role in the January 6, 2021 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. The guitarist, who is said to be “a founding, lifetime member of the Oath Keepers,” was previously expected to be sentenced tomorrow (February 20), but the hearing was delayed due to an upcoming medical procedure.

This news comes after Schaffer’s lawyers previously filed a motion “to continue sentencing or in the alternative stay sentencing” in part pending the outcome of Joseph W. Fischer v. United States. According to Politico, the Supreme Court agreed to hear that case back in December and it relates to claims that prosecutors and the Department of Justice improperly used a 2002 law to prosecute a January 6 defendant named Joseph Fischer. However, the court has since denied Schaffer’s request to wait for the outcome of that case. U.S. District Court Judge Amit Mehta commented:

“The sentencing hearing presently scheduled for Feb. 20, 2024, is hereby vacated due to the health considerations outlined in defendant’s motion. The court will not stay sentencing until resolution of United States v. Fischer. There are other procedural mechanisms by which defendant can seek to delay any term of incarceration, if one is imposed. …And the public interest weighs in favor of not delaying sentencing until the outcome of Fischer.”

Schaffer previously pleaded guilty to two charges related to his involvement in the insurrection in April 2021. 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 plea deal, the musician entered into a cooperation agreement with the government. 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.”

The news of Schaffer’s sentencing comes shortly after attorneys for the District of Columbia opposed a dismissal motion regarding a lawsuit that was filed against him and other members of the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys.