Jacob Chansley
American activist
Jacob Anthony Chansley (born 1988), also known as Jake Angeli, QAnon Shaman, Q Shaman, and Yellowstone Wolf, is an American former conspiracy theorist, far-right influencer and convicted felon who participated in the January 6 United States Capitol attack, for which he pled guilty to obstructing an official proceeding. He is a former supporter of Donald Trump and a former believer and amplifier of the QAnon conspiracy theory.
Chansley attended demonstrations in the Phoenix, Arizona area starting around 2019, including a march supporting climate strikes. At rallies, he promoted conspiracy theories supporting Trump, and he has been a counterprotester at Black Lives Matter events.
After being photographed taking part in the January 6 storming of the Capitol, Chansley was arrested on January 9 on federal charges of "Civil Disorder; Obstruction of an Official Proceeding; Entering and Remaining in a Restricted Building; Disorderly and Disruptive Conduct in a Restricted Building; Violent Entry and Disorderly Conduct in a Capitol Building; Parading, Demonstrating, or Picketing in a Capitol Building." He pleaded guilty to a single felony charge in September, and was sentenced to 41 months in prison followed by 36 months supervised release in November 2021. He served out a portion of his sentence at the Federal Correctional Institution, Safford, in Safford, Arizona, and was transferred to a halfway house on March 28, 2023, from which he was released on May 25, 2023.
On January 20, 2025, after beginning his second term in office, President Trump issued pardons to approximately 1,500 individuals charged with crimes connected to the January 6 attack, including Chansley.
Early life and education
Jacob Anthony Chansley was born in 1988 and raised by a single mother, Martha Chansley. He attended Moon Valley High School in Phoenix, Arizona, and Glendale Community College, where he completed some coursework in psychology, religion, philosophy and ceramics.
Career
Chansley enlisted in the United States Navy on September 26, 2005.
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