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By Alia Shoaib
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A federal judge has ruled that Jacob Chansley, the man known as "QAnon Shaman," is allowed to have back the notorious furry hat and spear that he carried when he stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021.
The FBI seized these items after he was arrested in connection with the riot.
On Monday, U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lamberth granted Chansley's request to have his possessions returned.
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The court filing said: "Mr. Chansley has completed his prison sentence and much of his term of supervised release. Now, he has moved for the return of his property seized and still held by the government, including his spear and helmet."
"Since the government has not established that it still needs these items as evidence and has not sought their forfeiture, the Court will GRANT Mr. Chansley's motion," the judge said.
Chansley was sentenced to 41 months in prison in 2021 and was released early to a halfway house in 2023.
He was one of hundreds to be convicted for their role in the riot, in which supporters of former President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol to disrupt the certification of Joe Biden's 2020 election victory.
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As the judge noted in the new filing, Chansley "stood out to the entire world" among thousands of rioters because of his unique appearance.
He was photographed shirtless, wearing a horned headdress made with coyote tails and with red, white, and blue face paint.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Chansley praised the judge's ruling.
"Judge Lamberth has my respect & gratitude, his ruling is just & impartial. He is simply requiring the government to follow the law as it is written," he wrote.
In an emailed statement to Newsweek, Chansley's attorney William Shipley said: "Jake, his family, and myself have spent 2+ years trying to get his property returned to him. At various times Govt officials seemed cooperative and it as only bureaucratic issues that kept the return from happening."
"But the Gov't eventually forced me to file this motion, then opposed the motion without any legal grounds for such opposition, and wasted court resources to end up with this result which was obvious from the start."
Although Chansley pleaded guilty and has already served his time, a recent Supreme Court ruling could affect him along with others convicted for their involvement in the riot.
Chansley could ask a court to reopen his case and set aside his conviction. However, his attorney Shipley told Newsweek in July that they were "not prepared to do that at that point."
However, Chansley is seeking to reduce his supervised release term from 36 months to 12 months.
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