COLORADO SPRINGS — Former two-time Olympic gold medal swimmer Klete Keller was charged in U.S. District Court in Washington D.C. on Jan. 13 for his alleged participation in the deadly riots at the U.S. Capitol last week.
According to court documents,the judge handling his case has ordered Keller to surrender his passport and remain in Colorado.
According to court documents, Keller was charged with obstructing law enforcement, knowingly entering or remaining in a restricting building or grounds without lawful authority, and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.
See the full court documents here
In those documents, the FBI said it used Keller's height, his Colorado driver's license photo, and his Team USA jacket's visibility in videos to positively identify him.
#KleteKeller’s identity is confirmed in these documents, and you can clearly see what appears to be his Team USA jacket in the photos. @KOAA 2/2 pic.twitter.com/c2sr3AUn55
— Colette Bordelon (@ColetteBordelon) January 13, 2021
Keller appeared in U.S. District Court of Colorado on Jan. 14 where he was advised by the judge he could face up to 11 years in prison if he’s found guilty on all three charges: Up to five years for the first count, a year for the second, and up to five years in prison for the third count.
He was released following that hearing on a personal recognizance bond after promising the judge he would appear at all future court dates, was allowed at that point to travel out of state to North Carolina to see his family one more time before the start of his criminal case.
Prior to the charges on Wednesday, the head of the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee released a statement on Keller, saying they are waiting for law enforcement to confirm the identity of the individual in question before determining appropriate actions. She added that she strongly condemns the actions at the Capitol and that they do not represent the values of Team USA.
My statement on reports of an alumni Olympic athlete being involved in the horrific acts at the U.S. Capitol building last week: pic.twitter.com/i5nRGElXkq
— Sarah Hirshland (@USOPC_CEO) January 13, 2021
Keller reportedly worked as a contractor for a local Colorado Springs real estate and property management company, Hoff & Leigh.
Tuesday evening, the company released the following statement:
"Effective immediately, Klete Keller is no longer with Hoff & Leigh. Keller, an independent contractor, resigned from the company today. Hoff & Leigh supports the right of free speech and lawful protest but we cannot condone actions that violate the rule of law. We pride ourselves on our deeply held core values of family, loyalty, community and stewardship. We continue to stand by these values."
When asked about the potential effect this situation could have on Keller's Olympic medals, an IOC spokesperson responded with the following statement: “The Olympic Medals were awarded for sporting achievements in the Olympic Games 2000, 2004, and 2008. For the IOC there is nothing further to add.”
News5 reached out to the FBI for comment but the agency said they are unable to provide one at this time.
News5 is also working to contact Klete Keller for comment.
