Klete Keller surrenders to charges in Capitol riots

Two-time Olympic gold medalist Kelly Keeler surrendered to federal authorities on Thursday On charges related to his alleged involvement in the riots At the US Capitol building last week.

Keeler, who won five medals in three Olympics in the 2000s, was charged with three crimes in the US District Court in Denver and released without bond, In the Republic of Arizona.

The charges were unveiled on Wednesday before he turned himself in and the judge separates them and details the maximum penalty during the court session on Thursday. Keeler may also face additional fees.

Keeler faces charges in the court session

According to a criminal complaint to the US District Court in Washington, DC, the 38-year-old is charged with:

• Impairment of law enforcement involved in official duties with civil unrest

• Knowingly entering or staying in any prohibited building or land without legal authority

• Violent entry and disorderly behavior on Capitol grounds

At the hearing across the Republic, Magistrate Judge Michael E. Hegarty said the maximum penalty is five years in prison. Both fees carry a maximum fine of $ 250,000. In The Washington Post, Keeler He could face up to 15 and a half years in prison.

Keeler is only allowed to leave Colorado to visit his children in North Carolina. He worked as a commercial real estate agent until Tuesday when he was identified in the photos from the Capitol riots.

A video clip on the Capitol allegedly shows Keeler

Keeler was allegedly part of the gangs that invaded the US Capitol building last Wednesday while Congress was ratifying the results of the 2020 election won by Joe Biden. The invasion left five people dead.

SwimSwam first published news Keeler was involved in the attack and several people He confirmed his identity to the New York Times. A video clip shows a tall man in Team USA jacket, people identified as Keeler inside the Capitol building as police attempt to rein in rioters. At 6 feet 6 he is easy to see in the crowd.

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The Washington Post also confirmed his identity in interviews His fellow Olympic medalists.

Keller’s social media accounts have been disabled. SwimSwam and Friends of Keeler who spoke to the Washington Post You mentioned that the accounts contained multiple posts supporting Donald Trump before they were removed.

Keller’s Olympic history with Team USA

Keeler helped Team USA win gold in the 4 × 200m freestyle relay at the 2004 Olympics in Athens and the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. The group included Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte.

He won two bronze medals in the 400m freestyle from Athens and the 2000 Sydney Games. He also helped win the silver in the 4 x 200m relay in Sydney.

Keeler retired from competitive swimming in 2008.

The American Olympic and Paralympic Committee did not mention Keeler’s name in a statement issued on Wednesday. But it addressed the reports of the graduate athletes Participated and “strongly condemned” the rioters’ actions.

There have been calls to strip Keeler of the medals and his former teammates are upset that he wore the uniforms of Team USA in the riots.

The USOPC does not have the capacity to claim medals as only the International Olympic Committee can do so. It took them from athletes who violated doping rules or other competitive regulations.

He is said to have struggled to adjust to life after the Olympics, According to mail reports, Associated Press and 2014 story taken from American Swimming website. He did not comment on the charges.

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