Shawndale and Donald Chilcoat are pictured inside the Senate chamber of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 6, 2021. The Celina couple faces charges for their alleged role in the Jan. 6 uprising and plans to accept a plea deal Friday.
Photos courtesy of FBI
WASHINGTON, D.C. — A Mercer County couple facing 13 felony charges as the result of their participation in the Jan. 6, 2021, uprising at the U.S. Capitol Building have accepted a plea offer from government attorneys and will formalize that agreement during a hearing on Friday, according to court documents.
A plea hearing is scheduled for 11 a.m. Friday, Sept. 20 before U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, during which time Donald and Shawndale Chilcoat are expected to plead guilty to three of 13 federal charges against them.
The plea deal reportedly calls for the Chilcoats to plead guilty to disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds; entering and remaining on the Floor of Congress; and failure to appear for a pretrial hearing as ordered by the court. In exchange for those pleas, the government is prepared to dismiss remaining charges that include multiple counts of obstruction of an official proceeding; disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds and in any of the Capitol buildings; and demonstrating or picketing in any of the Capitol buildings.
The Chilcoats informed the court on Thursday, Sept. 12 during a status hearing conducted via Zoom that they intended to accept the government’s plea offer. The couple had been ordered to appear in person for the hearing but could not do so after Donald Chilcoat suffered a medical emergency, according to court records.
As recently as early last week the couple had failed to accept the government’s plea proposal, which was scheduled to expire on Sept. 6. The Chilcoats at that time had expressed an interest in representing themselves at trial.
On Wednesday, Sept. 11, the couple filed a motion with the court a motion asking that their cases be dismissed “due to lack of jurisdiction, fraudulent actions and ineffective assistance of counsel.”
The Chilcoats were arrested Aug. 11, 2022, in connection with their actions during the insurrection that took place at the Capitol, where thousands of people gathered on the day the U.S. Congress was to formally certify the results of the 2020 presidential election which saw Joe Biden defeat incumbent Donald Trump.
The Chilcoats were among rally participants who illegally entered the Capitol Building to protest the election results on Jan. 6, according to the FBI.
More than 880 defendants have been sentenced for their roles in the uprising, according to the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. More than 500 have been sentenced to periods of incarceration.
Shawnee Township resident Jonathan Copeland will be sentenced Nov. 22 for his role in the uprising. A judge found Copeland guilty in May of eight counts related to his participation in the insurrection.
