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 facing charges for their alleged role in the Jan. 6 attack rejected plea offers made by government attorneys last week and are seemingly headed toward trial.
Photos courtesy of FBI
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Government attorneys said last week that a sixth plea deal offered to a Mercer County couple charged in federal court for their role in the Jan. 6, 2021, uprising at the U.S. Capitol Building will be the final such offer.
Donald and Shawndale Chilcoat announced during a Sept. 12 hearing before U.S. District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly their intent to plead guilty to felony charges that included 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. Nine remaining counts would be dismissed as part of the government’s offer.
A change-of-plea hearing was held Friday to finalize that plea deal, but the Chilcoat couple instead made a last-minute rejection to the government’s offer. According to court documents, the Mercer County couple told the court they intended to reject the plea deal because it would require them to plead guilty to a felony charge, and “that kind of made the decision for us.”
The couple said they now intend to take their cases to trial. The government told the court it had reopened its plea offer six times in this matter and will not do so again.
The Chilcoats at the Friday hearing also reported they are actively seeking new legal counsel. Judge Kollar-Kotelly, in a journal entry dated Monday, said if new defense attorneys do not enter an appearance by a status hearing scheduled for 1 p.m. Oct. 18, the court will appoint counsel to represent the defendants at trial.
A trial date has not yet been scheduled.
Donald and Shawndale Chilcoat were among rally participants who illegally entered the Capitol Building to protest the election results on Jan. 6, 2021, according to the FBI.
They were arrested Aug. 11, 2022, in connection with their actions during the insurrection that took place at the Capitol, when thousands of people gathered to protest as the U.S. Congress was to formally certify the results of the 2020 presidential election which saw Joe Biden defeat incumbent Donald Trump.
