U.S. Olympic gold medalist pleads guilty in Capitol riot and will help prosecutors in future cases

U.S. Olympic gold medalist Klete Keller pleaded guilty Wednesday to a felony charge of obstructing the Electoral College proceedings on Jan. 6 -- and in a surprise move, plans to cooperate with the Justice Department and potentially testify against other alleged rioters.

The deal with Keller suggests prosecutors might try to use him as a star witness at upcoming trials, banking on his notoriety as a decorated athlete who won gold medals in swimming at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 2004 Athens Olympics.

Keller was arrested in January and charged with seven crimes. The other charges will be dropped as part of the plea deal. He pleaded guilty to a felony charge that could potentially lead to prison, though he could reduce his sentence by helping prosecutors.

Until now, the only rioters who have struck cooperation deals were members of extremist groups who could testify against their fellow members.

Investigators identified Keller, 38, after he was spotted in video footage inside the Capitol wearing his U.S. Olympic Team jacket. Keller, who is 6-foot-6, towered over the other rioters in the footage, prosecutors said during the Wednesday hearing, making it easy for investigators to trace his movements during the hour he spent inside the Capitol.