Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes has been sentenced to 18 years in prison on charges of seditious conspiracy related to the events of January 6, 2021. His sentence is the longest to date for anyone convicted in connection with the incident. The plot, orchestrated by Rhodes, involved the formation of ‘quick reaction force’ teams stationed in a Virginia hotel, ready to transport weapons into Washington D.C. if required, although these were ultimately not deployed.
U.S. District Judge Amit P. Mehta spoke directly to Rhodes in court, accusing him of wishing for a violent breakdown of democracy and of preparing a group of citizens to incite a revolution. Rhodes retorted that the prosecution was politically motivated, given that he did not enter the Capitol himself and claims he never instructed anyone else to do so. Nevertheless, Mehta concurred with the prosecution’s suggestion of a sentence enhancement for ‘terrorism’ on the grounds that the Oath Keepers had sought to intimidate or coerce the government.
Rhodes, found guilty in October 2022, plans to appeal the conviction, arguing that prosecutors unfairly cast him as the emblem of the events of January 6.
Despite his conviction, two other members of the Oath Keepers were acquitted of sedition but found guilty of other offenses. These individuals, along with four others convicted of seditious conspiracy in a separate trial in January, are still due to be sentenced. The sentence handed to Rhodes could potentially set a precedent for what prosecutors will request for former Proud Boys national chairman, Enrique Tarrio, who was also convicted of seditious conspiracy.
