Olympic Champion Klete Keller’s Sentencing Date for Capitol Riot Pushed Back to July

by Riley Overend 63

April 29th, 2023 National, News

Two-time Olympic gold medalist Klete Keller had his sentencing hearing postponed to July 7, two months after the expected May 10 date and nearly two years after he pleaded guilty to a felony charge for storming the U.S. Capitol Building on Jan. 6, 2021.

The felony charge for obstructing a federal proceeding carries a maximum sentence of 20 years, but the 41-year-old Keller will likely receive far less time, estimated around 21 to 27 months. Paul Allard Hodgkins spent eight months behind bars in Florida after entering a guilty plea for the same felony charge two years ago in Florida.

An outspoken supporter of former president Donald Trump, Keller was identified in videos from the insurrection wearing a U.S. Olympic Team jacket. A few days later, he turned himself in facing charges in Denver. Keller originally pleaded not guilty to the seven charges he faced, but he reached a plea deal with federal prosecutors in September of 2021.

Keller admitted to spending “a little less than one hour” inside the Capitol as part of an attempt to stop or delay certification of the electoral college vote for the 2020 election. He also said he took phone photos and videos inside the Capitol, then destroyed the phone, its memory card, and threw away the Team USA jacket within 48 hours.

According to his plea, Keller yelled, “F*** Nancy Pelosi!” and “F*** Chuck Schumer!” when he was in the rotunda.

The Capitol riot resulted in the deaths of five people, including a police officer. More than 1,000 people have since been arrested, more than half of whom have pleaded guilty, according to the Department of Justice.

A three-time Olympian, Keller won two gold medals as a member of the American men’s 800-meter freestyle relay team at Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008. He also picked up a silver in the event at Sydney 2000 in addition to a pair of bronze medals in the 400 free at Sydney 200 and Athens 2004. He competed collegiately at USC for two years from 2000-01 before turning professional. Until 2007, he trained at Michigan’s Club Wolverine under coaches Jon Urbanchek and later Bob Bowman.

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Mike
1 year ago

he’s 100% innocent. And hopefully everyone from j6 will be pardoned by Trump.

Virgil kritzmacher
1 year ago

How convenient.

thezwimmer
1 year ago

Just checking back in to see how many more comments have come through, and I noticed one of mine has been deleted. I guess the powers that be didn’t appreciate my comparison to the protestors who attempted to disrupt the Kavanaugh confirmation hearings in 2018.

Admin
Reply to  thezwimmer
1 year ago

Your comment was not deleted. The comment you were responding to was deleted, and when that happens, all of the threaded comments underneath it go too.

thezwimmer
Reply to  Braden Keith
1 year ago

The thought did cross my mind after I posted the follow-up. Thanks for the clarification

Coach
Reply to  thezwimmer
1 year ago

Did anyone die at Kavanaugh’s hearing?

SKOOOOOO
1 year ago

Hilarious comment section. Everyone is CONVINCED that their side is right. News flash: it doesn’t actually matter to your daily life. You took the click bait. The social engineers must love the havoc being wreaked in society.

Golden Summer
Reply to  SKOOOOOO
1 year ago

Putin is smiling

JoeB
Reply to  Golden Summer
1 year ago

The reality is he’s not. He’s hasn’t smiled since the realization that he sealed his fate by invading Ukraine. Russia is not all about distributing disinformation in U.S., contrary to Western thoughts and beliefs. Here is something you may not be aware of. In February 2018, The New York Times, which considers itself the paper of record, wrote a story on a U.S. study of electronic interference in past 50 years. The study found that 36 difference cases of Russian interference. In those same 50 years, the study found 81 different cases of U.S. interference. I am not the source for this information. Edward Snowden is. And if anyone has first-hand knowledge of the dealing on the ”dark web,” it… Read more »

Golden Summer
Reply to  JoeB
1 year ago

So America is hell bent on destroying itself?

Even more fascinating for foreigners to observe!

JoeB
Reply to  Golden Summer
1 year ago

In April in the US, people were shot for ringing the wrong doorbell, getting into the wrong car, using a leaf blower, delivering food to the wrong address, driving into the wrong driveway, and for asking a neighbor to stop shooting so a baby could sleep.

If I still need to answer you question, then my answer is “Yes.”

Trust me, foreigners could care less. Perhaps, instead of wondering what is in their thoughts, you should focus on caring more.

JoeB
Reply to  Golden Summer
1 year ago

The destruction has been underway for a while now. Haven’t you been paying attention? As for foreigners, I can’t speak for all. The United Nations recognizes 195 countries. I’ve lived and worked in 180 of them. I know this might come as a shock, but most don’t pay attention to the United States. Certainly not to the extent Americans think they do. And knowing the people I do, they would not be fascinated, they would be heartbroken. And to clarify, when I speak about people, I am excluding all things political.

JoeB
1 year ago

Through 36 comments, is this SwimSwam’s latest episode of ”The Weakest Link?” If so, and if you’ve yet to select your Jane Lynch, I’d appreciate an opportunity to audition as host for the remainder. Only now have the contenders separated themselves from the pretenders.

JoeB
Reply to  JoeB
1 year ago

Please submit your contestants. I promise to be truthfully brutal to one, to all.

thezwimmer
1 year ago

And I supposed you think that it was perfectly justified for protesters to storm the capital during the confirmation hearings of Judge Kavanaugh in 2018…

RD44
Reply to  thezwimmer
1 year ago

Yeah that pesky double standard. Anyway Ray Epps is still free though

Awsi Dooger
Reply to  thezwimmer
1 year ago

Widespread lies vs imagined

Golden Summer
1 year ago

Hopefully!

MIKE IN DALLAS
1 year ago

Haven’t had a gun in my hands for 50 years. . . . .it was called Vietnam.

About Riley Overend

Riley is an associate editor interested in the stories taking place outside of the pool just as much as the drama between the lane lines. A 2019 graduate of Boston College, he arrived at SwimSwam in April of 2022 after three years as a sports reporter and sports editor at newspapers …

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