A plea bargain could be in the works for Klete Keller, the Olympic medalist swimmer from the University of Southern California charged in the U.S. Capitol riot, according to a motion filed Friday in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C.
“The parties have also begun discussing a potential resolution of this case and need more time to continue the discussions,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Jawad wrote in the unopposed motion to continue.
No further details about the talks were provided in the eight-page motion.
Edward B. MacMahon Jr., Keller’s attorney, didn’t respond to a request for comment.
A federal grand jury indicted Keller on seven counts in February in connection with the riot, including civil disorder, obstructing an official proceeding and disorderly conduct in a restricted building.
“Mr. Keller is alleged to have unlawfully entered the Capitol, marched around various parts of the building, participated in chants while standing off with law enforcement officers, and impeded law enforcement efforts to address the civil disorder,” the motion said.
Keller, who is free on a personal recognizance bond, has pleaded not guilty.
Keller was first publicly linked to the riot through a video recorded by a journalist of the chaos in the Capitol Rotunda on Jan. 6. The former swimmer stood out because of his U.S. Olympic team jacket and 6-foot-6 height. The FBI arrested Keller on Jan. 14 and, according to court records, searched his Colorado Springs, Colorado, home the same day.
The motion states preliminary discovery provided to Keller includes “FBI materials such as tip reports, law enforcement interviews, videos, and open-source database searches, photographs and materials related to the search of Mr. Keller’s residence, open-source videos portraying Mr. Keller in the Capitol building, and Capitol surveillance footage.”
The motion seeks a continuance of up to 60 days, citing the sprawling investigation into the riot that has led to charges against more than 450 people and could result in charges against at least 100 others.
Keller competed in the Olympics three times, winning gold medals in the 800-meter freestyle relay in 2004 in Athens and in the same event in 2008 in Beijing.
