The shine from his gold medals hasn’t disappeared, though the fade is significant.
U.S. swimmer and Olympic gold medalist Klete Keller was identified as being among those at the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6 riots and, on Tuesday, he pleaded not guilty to seven charges.
Keller, 38, appeared at a virtual hearing in U.S. District Court in Washington, and there wasn’t much he wanted to say – or was allowed to say.
He issued the not guilty plea from his home in Colorado Springs, Colo., and didn’t offer much more than that.
“Good afternoon, doing well, thank you,” Keller said upon introduction to Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy Edwards, who is prosecuting the case.
Keller’s attorney, Edward MacMahon, declined to offer any additional comment on the case Tuesday.
He is due to make his next court appearance April 6.
Keller was indicted by a grand jury on seven counts last month, among the counts: civil disorder, obstructing an official proceeding and disorderly conduct in a restricted building.
There were several posts from Keller supporting former President Donald Trump before Keller’s accounts were deactivated.
As a really tall person wearing a bright Team USA jacket, Keller would have been hard to miss.
In a criminal complaint, an FBI agent said he ID’s the 6-foot-6 Keller in part by the jacket, “which also appears to bear a Nike logo on the front right side and a red and white Olympic patch on the front left side.”
Keller won five Olympic medals during his swimming career, including gold in the 4x200m freestyle relay at the 2004 Games in Athens and the 2008 Games in Beijing.
If things go really poorly, Keller could spend up to 15 years in prison.
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