Oath Keepers Founder Steward Rhodes Found Guilty of Seditious Conspiracy Over Capitol Riot
In this Jan. 6, 2021, file photo insurrections loyal to President Donald Trump rally at the U.S. Capitol in Washington. U.S.
Prosecutors said that Rhodes ran a months-long plot, intending to bring violence to the Capitol and prevent the inauguration of US President Joe Biden.A federal jury convicted Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes on Tuesday on seditious conspiracy charges in connection to the deadly 2021 riot that saw thousands overtake the US Capitol.Rhodes was found guilty of seditious conspiracy, obstruction of an official proceeding and aiding and abetting, and tampering with documents or proceedings and aiding and abetting.Kelly Meggs, one of Rhodes’ associates described as the “Florida state lead” by prosecutors was also found guilty of seditious conspiracy and other felonies.Co-Defendants Jessica Watkins, Kenneth Harrelson, and Thomas Caldwell were found not guilty of seditious conspiracy but were found guilty of other felonies.All defendants were found guilty by the jury of obstruction. Meggs, Harrelson, and Watkins were additionally found guilty of conspiracy to prevent an officer from discharging any duties. Watkins, Meggs, and Caldwell also received guilty verdicts for conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding and separate tampering counts.The jury deliberated for three days before returning its verdict.Both the seditious conspiracy charge and the obstruction charges carry a 20-year maximum sentence, though the Justice Department has argued in other cases for a seven to nine-year sentence for each charge based on federal advisory guidelines.The tampering charges come with a maximum sentence of three years.
AmericasMessages, Recordings Show Oath Keepers Planned Armed Resistance To Biden4 October, 21:33 GMTThe seditious conspiracy charge was more difficult for prosecutors to prove because they had to show the jury that the defendants intended to forcibly oppose the government, while the obstruction charge was easier to prove.Rhodes’ lawyers argued that the Oath Keepers were only in DC to protect Trump supporters and anticipated that the former President would invoke the Insurrection Act to form a militia.The case is also seen as a preview for a similar case against Proud Boys leader Henry “Enrique” Tarrio, who, along with other Proud Boys members, has also been charged with seditious conspiracy.On January 6, 2021, thousands of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol building in an attempt to prevent the transfer of power following a “Stop the Steal” rally organized by allies of Donald Trump and headlined by the then-President.Hundreds of people have been charged with crimes stemming from that day and a number of members of the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers have already pleaded guilty to seditious conspiracy charges. Rhodes, as the leader of the Oath Keepers, is the most high-profile conviction yet.Both the Justice Department and a special House Select Committee are investigating what role Trump and his allies played in that riot and other efforts to overturn the election.During the trial, Rhodes and other Oath Keeper members admitted to being in contact with several key Trump allies, including former national security aide Michael Flynn, Trump political confidant Roger Stone, and “Stop the Steal” organizer Ali Alexander.
