LOS ANGELES — Klete Keller, the two-time Olympic gold medalist swimmer from USC, was charged Wednesday in connection with the riot at the U.S. Capitol.
Filed in U.S. District Court in Washington, the criminal complaint charges Keller with knowingly entering or remaining in a restricted building, disorderly conduct in the Capitol building and impeding law enforcement.
A video posted on social media by a journalist with Townhall Media captured Keller in the Capitol rotunda wearing a U.S. Olympic team jacket in the midst of the riot.
“At approximately fourteen minutes and thirty-eight seconds, PERSON 1 is still in the Rotunda, and the back of his jacket is again visible. PERSON 1 stands taller than a number of individuals around him and can clearly be seen as law enforcement officers repeatedly attempt to remove him and others from the Rotunda,” the complaint said.
It added: “Additional open-source research revealed that media outlets such as SwimSwam, a news organization that covers competitive swimming and other related sports, identified this individual as possibly KLETE DERIK KELLER. Your affiant has confirmed this identification.”
Keller, 38, won gold at the 2004 Olympics in Athens as part of the 800-meter freestyle relay and did the same at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. He also won a silver medal and two bronze medals during his Olympics career.
He attended USC from 2000 to 2001, then later returned to the school to finish his bachelor’s degree and train with the Trojan Swim Club.
