The founder of the far-right US militia Oath Keepers, Stewart Rhodes, has been sentenced to 18 years in prison for storming the Capitol on January 6, 2021. The verdict against the 57-year-old for “incendiary conspiracy” was announced Thursday by a federal judge in the capital Washington.
It is the highest prison sentence to date in connection with the violent attack on the US Congress two months after the November 2020 presidential election.
Prosecutors had demanded 25 years in prison for Rhodes. Among other things, she had asked for “terrorist behaviour” to be added as an aggravating factor. Judge Amit Mehta accepted the request, but his sentence remained below the request of the prosecutor.
“Insurgent Conspiracy”
Rhodes was found guilty of “seditious conspiracy” in November. The crime is aimed at, among other things, attempts to overthrow the US government and is rarely used in the US.
Prosecutors had accused the five accused Oath Keepers in the trial of planning an “armed uprising” against the US government. Accordingly, the extremists wanted to prevent the transfer of power from President Donald Trump to his successor Joe Biden.
Members of the Oath Keepers, classified as anti-government and violent, along with hundreds of other radical Trump supporters stormed the Capitol as Biden’s victory in the presidential election was finally confirmed there.
“General on the Battlefield”
According to the indictment, ex-soldier Rhodes, known for his black eye patch, and the other accused Oath Keepers had bought and stored weapons and combat equipment in a hotel near the capital. Rhodes acted “like a general on the battlefield” during the storm at the Capitol, prosecutor Jeffrey Nestler said at last fall’s trial.
Rhodes has denied planning an attack on the Capitol. According to him, he and his militia only wanted to ensure security at a Trump rally in Washington on the day in question.
Source: Krone
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