The founder of the far-right group “Oath Keepers”, Stuart Rhodes, and another member were found guilty of “sedition” offenses on Tuesday for their participation in the 2021 invasion of the US Capitol.
The crime of “sedition” in the United States is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
Rhodes, 57, a former soldier and Yale Law School graduate, and four other members of the group have been accused of planning an armed insurrection to overturn the results of the November 2020 presidential election won by Democrat Joe Biden.
Hundreds of Trump supporters have been arrested over the attack on Congress, but have faced fewer charges for their minor roles than Rhodes and the other four, known as the “Oathkeepers.”
During the trial, the Justice Department said Rhodes and his “oath-keepers” “developed a plan for armed insurrection … to conspire to oppose the United States government by force.”
The prosecution showed video clips of the attack, which was carried out by dozens of members of the group wearing combat gear. The defendants described the case as a political trial conducted by the Biden government against supporters of its predecessor, Donald Trump.
It took the 12-person jury three days to reach a verdict in the case.
If the five defendants are found not guilty in court, it would be a setback for the Justice Department, which plans to prosecute members of the Proud Boys, another far-right group accused of the same crimes.
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