The founder of Oath Keepers, an extreme right-wing organization, was found guilty by a jury on charges of organizing against the state at the end of November last year, and following that, the judge in the case has just announced the verdict in Washington.
The prosecutor’s office asked for a 25-year prison sentence, but 18 years is still the heaviest sentence so far in criminal trials initiated due to the events of January 6, 2021.
Stewart Rhodes is also the first to be sentenced by the judge among those who were found guilty by the jury of the extremely rare conspiracy charge of premeditatedly trying to prevent the transfer of power to the president and the congressional approval of Joe Biden’s election victory. Also for the first time in the Jan. 6 cases, the judge granted a prosecutor’s motion to classify Rhodes’ act as a crime of terrorism, an aggravating factor in sentencing.
58-year-old Stewart Rhodes called himself a political prisoner before the sentencing and said that
his only sin – like Donald Trump’s – is that he resists those who want to destroy the country.
Before sentencing, the judge described Stewart Rhodes as someone who “wants to turn democracy into violence in this country”. and as soon as he is released from prison he will again be ready to take up arms against his government.
In the case of four other Oath Keepers members found guilty together with Stewart Rhodes at the end of November last year, the judge will announce the verdict on Thursday evening and Friday.
In the Jan. 6 trials, the jury in early May found four more people guilty, also on conspiracy charges. The founder of another extremist organization, Proud Boys, Enrique Tarrio, and three of his associates were also put on trial as organizers and preparers of the January 6 events. A verdict in their case is expected to be announced in August.
Following the riots on January 6, 2021, around a thousand people were put on trial in the United States.
Cover image source: Getty Images
