Former United States Olympic swimmer Klete Keller has been sentenced to six months of home detention and 36 months of probation for being at the Capitol on January 6.
The five-time Olympic medalist had been indicted on several federal counts but accepted a plea deal, pleading guilty to one count of obstructing an official proceeding.
Keller reportedly came within 50 feet of the Senate chambers, and police officers had to remove the athlete along with other protesters from the Capitol.
Prosecutors were seeking 10 months in prison, arguing his actions were “unconscionable” and “will forever be a stain on this country’s narrative.”
They claimed that granting him probation would “send a message to the public you can do this and not get punished.”
“However, given his extensive cooperation with the government since turning himself in and his ‘genuine’ remorse for his conduct, they pushed for the judge to give him a far lighter prison sentence,” a report from ABC News states.
In a letter to Judge Richard Leon, Keller wrote “As a former member of the United States Olympic Swimming Team, my behavior set a terrible example for young people who looked up to me. I take full responsibility for my inexcusable actions. I will accept my punishment with humility and serve my sentence in peace.”
