Olympic gold-medalist Klete Keller turned himself in to federal authorities on Thursday, and he was charged with three crimes in U.S. District Court in Denver for his role in the riot last week at the U.S. Capitol that left at least five people dead.
Keller, 38, is a three-time Olympic swimmer, who earned five medals overall, including gold medals in the 2004 and 2008 Summer Games for Team USA.
Keller, who until Tuesday worked as a commercial real estate agent in Colorado Springs, was released without bond.
He was charged with obstructing law enforcement engaged in official duties incident to civil disorder, a felony, and two misdemeanors: knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.
Keller was told during a 24-minute court hearing that the first charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The other two charges carry maximum prison sentences of one year and six months, respectively, and fines of a quarter million dollars each.
He said little on Thursday other than to acknowledge several questions from Magistrate Judge Michael E. Hegarty, who ordered that Keller may leave Colorado to visit his children in North Carolina. Keller also had to surrender his passport.
During the hearing, it was disclosed that a grand jury has yet to determine whether Keller will face additional charges.
The Justice Department and FBI this week indicated that people who were in the Capitol last week when Congress met to certify the presidential election of Democrat Joe Biden could initially face direct charges and then grand jury indictments with additional crimes.
For example, a grand jury charged Jake Angeli — who was widely recognized when he was photographed bare-chested wearing an animal-fur hat with horns inside the Capitol — with six federal counts after he was arrested Saturday on a two-count criminal complaint.
Keller, according to a statement of facts that was a part of his arrest warrant, was among a large group of rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol about 2 p.m. EST. The mob broke windows and assaulted officers.
The statement of facts said Townhall Media, a political news organization, depicted various events inside the Capitol, and it captured a photo of Keller. He was wearing a dark-colored jacket with "USA" down the sleeves and a United States Olympic Team patch on the left front of the jacket.
Keller, who is 6-foot-6, also was easily identified because he was "one of the tallest individuals in the video," according to FBI records.
Keller has an Arizona flag tattooed on his right biceps and he trained at the Phoenix Swim Club with other notable Olympic champions. Keller used his Olympic fame to promote himself as a commercial real estate agent in Colorado.
He was, until Tuesday, listed as an agent with Hoff & Leigh in Colorado. Hoff & Leigh issued a statement on Tuesday afternoon saying Keller, an independent contractor, had resigned.
Keller's most famous swim came when he held off Australian star Ian Thorpe in the anchor leg of the 4x200 meter-freestyle relay in the 2004 Athens Games to win the race by a mere 0.13 seconds.
Keller won back-to-back bronze medals in the 400 freestyle at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and 2004 Games, including setting the American record (3:44.11) in Athens.
He also won a silver in the 4x200m freestyle relay in Sydney and gold in the same relay at the 2008 Beijing Games.
Zach Hillstrom of the Pueblo Chieftan contributed to this article.
Reach the reporter at [email protected] oor on Twitter @charrisazrep.
