"Segway" Jeremy to be released after pleading guilty to trying to buy radioactive substance

A federal judge has ordered the release of a political protester who was charged with attempting to get radioactive material over the internet.

Federal judge James D. Paterson ordered Jeremy Ryan to be released from federal custody on Wednesday, per the time-served conditions in a plea deal Ryan had accepted last year. Ryan must now comply with the conditions of his early release, according to federal court documents.

Ryan, who was once active on the Madison political scene and known by the nickname "Segway Jeremy," pleaded guilty in January to trying to buy illegal radioactive material over the internet. His attorney said he intended to use the material to kill himself.

Under the plea agreement, Ryan pleaded guilty to the charge of attempting to buy radioactive material, and in return would get a "time served" sentence, meaning he would not serve any time in prison. A terrorism-related charge would be dropped under the agreement.

Ryan was arrested in October of 2018 by undercover FBI agents after they caught him trying to buy radioactive material online.

Ryan was known for riding a Segway while protesting in the state Capitol in 2011. He used his notoriety to mount an unsuccessful underdog race against Paul Ryan in 2014, which he lost.