Hoosier rocker in the slammer for his role in Capitol riot
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — An Indiana musician has been jailed on federal charges in the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.
Jon Schaffer turned himself in to police in Hamilton County and has since been moved to the Marion County Jail. In the next week he is expected to go in front of U.S. magistrate, who could release him on bail.
Schaffer has spent most of this professional life playing the guitar in a number of heavy metal bands. He is one of the founding members of Iced Earth. Schaffer says on the band’s website that his passions are “studying history and current events and in consequence, standing against and exposing tyranny.”
The FBI believes Schaffer was among the rioters that used bear spray against Capitol police. He is pictured inside the Capitol building in a blue hoodie under a tactical vest holding a can of bear spray, photos in court documents show.
In November, Schaffer was part of the Million MAGA March as a member of the Oath Keepers militia. He was wearing a blue hoodie under a tactical vest when he made several statements during an interview with a member of the media, included in the court documents.
“My name’s JON SCHAFFER, I’m from Indiana. A group of thugs and criminals hijacked this country a long time ago. And now they’re making their big move, and it’s not gonna happen. . . People need to wake up and snap out of the Matrix, because they’re going down. They made the move, they’re messing with the wrong people here, trust me on that. And we needed it to be open like this. Open fraud. Open theft. Because now we see you, and you’re going down, mark my words.”
His interview in November is part of the FBI’s statement of facts in building a criminal complaint against Schaffer. Specifically, when asked if he expected violence at the march in November, he said:
“We’re not going to merge into some globalist, communist system, it will not happen. There will be a lot of bloodshed if it comes down to that, trust me. The American people will not go for that bull**** once they understand what’s actually happening. So that’s where we’re at. Nobody wants this, but they’re pushing us to a point where we have no choice.”
Shaffer’s Iced Earth bandmates released a statement on social media that sought to distance themselves from Schaffer’s involvement in the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.
Federal charges mean that Schaffer is not guaranteed bail. He must prove to the federal magistrate that he is not a threat to himself or the public. Others who have been charged for insurrection at the Capitol have been given bail but told to stay away from Washington.