Colorado Politics

Former Olympian, a Colorado Springs resident, willing to accept plea deal in U.S. Capitol riot case, prosecutors say

A prosecutor and a defense lawyer say they are close to a plea bargain for Colorado Springs resident Klete Keller, a former U.S. Olympic swimmer, for his role in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Reuters has reported.

Keller, 39, a gold medalist in the 2004 and 2008 Olympics, faces seven riot-related charges, including civil disorder and witness tampering.

Prosecutor Amanda Jawad confirmed to U.S. District Judge Richard Leon that a plea offer had been extended to Keller and said the defense and prosecution are “just finalizing an agreement,” according to Reuters.

More than 535 people face charges arising from the riot in which supporters of then-President Donald Trump, a Republican, sought to block Congress from certifying Democratic President Joe Biden’s election victory.

A federal grand jury had indicted Keller on seven charges, consisting of civil disorder, obstruction of an official proceeding, aiding and abetting, entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, impeding passage through the Capitol grounds of buildings, and parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building, according to documents filed in U.S. District Court in Washington.

While inside the Capitol, Keller could be seen wearing a USA Olympic jacket with an official Olympics patch, according to court documents.

A Nevada native, Keller competed in the 2000, 2004 and 2008 Olympics and brought home two gold medals, competing alongside teammate Michael Phelps. His post-Olympic career, though, took a dark turn, through divorce and unemployment and a low that saw Keller living in his car, according to a report by NBC Sports.

After settling in the Springs in 2018, Keller began working as an independent broker with commercial real estate firm Hoff and Leigh. In January, the agency announced he had resigned from the firm.

Information from Reuters was used in this report.

Klete Keller
Courtesy of Swimswam.com
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