Comet Ping Pong shooter pleads guilty

The man accused of firing an assault rifle in a Washington, D.C., pizzeria last year has pled guilty to federal and city firearm charges, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia announced Friday.

Edgar Maddison Welch, 28, pled guilty to the interstate transportation of ammunition and a firearm, a federal charge, in addition to a D.C. charge of assault with a dangerous weapon.

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Both charges carry a statutory maximum of 10 years in prison. Welch is likely looking at 18-24 months in prison for the federal charge and 18-60 months for the D.C. charge, the attorney’s office said.

Welch traveled from North Carolina to Washington in early December, claiming he was investigating the conspiracy theory that a child sex trafficking ring was operating out of the Comet Ping Pong restaurant.

The suspect allegedly fired an AR-15 inside the restaurant. No individuals were injured in the incidence. 

The debunked theory known as “Pizzagate” was made popular on far-right conspiracy theory websites and posited that former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and her campaign manager were linked to the alleged ring.

Welch has been in custody since his arrest in December. His sentencing is set for June 22.