Oath Keepers Member Is 1st To Plead Guilty In Capitol Riot Investigation

A heavy metal musician and founding member of the Oath Keepers extremist group pleaded guilty Friday to charges connected to the storming of the U.S. Capitol and agreed to cooperate with investigators — a first in the massive probe into the deadly Jan. 6 assault.

Jon Schaffer, a guitarist and songwriter for the heavy metal band Iced Earth, entered his plea during a hearing in federal court in Washington, D.C. The plea agreement, which comes 100 days after a mob of Trump supporters violently overran the Capitol, marks a significant step for prosecutors in the case.

Schaffer, who originally faced six counts, pleaded guilty to two charges — obstructing an official proceeding and entering restricted grounds with a dangerous weapon.