U.S. seek 25 years for Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes in seditious conspiracy case
Federal prosecutors want Stewart Rhodes, the founder of the Oath Keepers, sent away for 25 years in federal prison for seditious conspiracy in his Jan. 6 case.
WASHINGTON — Federal prosecutors want the founder of the Oath Keepers sentenced to 25 years in federal prison, writing that members of the far-right organization were "prepared to fight" Jan. 6 and that Stewart Rhodes should receive a terrorism sentencing enhancement for trying to stop the peaceful transfer of presidential power and keep Donald Trump in office.
Rhodes should receive 25 years in federal prison, prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memo filed late Friday, while eight of his co-defendants should receive prison sentences of between 10 and 21 years.
Rhodes and fellow Oath Keeper Kelly Meggs were found guilty of seditious conspiracy in November, while three of their co-defendants — Jessica Watkins, Kenneth Harrelson and Thomas Caldwell — were found guilty of obstruction of an official proceeding and aiding and abetting. Other members of the Oath Keepers, Roberto Minuta, Ed Vallejo, Joseph Hackett and David Moerschel, were found guilty of seditious conspiracy in a separate trial in January.
Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes found guilty of seditious conspiracyNov. 29, 202204:45Prosecutors are seeking 21 years for Meggs, 18 years for Watkins, 17 years for Minuta, 17 years for Vallejo, 15 years for Harrelson, 14 years for Caldwell, 12 years for Hackett and 10 years for Moerschel. Rhodes will be sentenced May 25, while other defendants will be sentenced in a series of hearings set for May 24, May 26, June 1 and June 2.
Last week, four members of the Proud Boys were also found guilty of seditious conspiracy, bringing the total number of defendants found guilty of that rare charge in connection with the Jan. 6 attack to 14. (Three other members of the Oath Keepers — William Todd Wilson, Joshua James and Brian Ulrich — pleaded guilty to seditious conspiracy last year. One Proud Boy, Jeremy Bertino, pleaded guilty to the seditious conspiracy charge and testified at trial.)
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