Oath Keepers’ leaders sentenced to prison for Capitol Breach: Rhodes gets 18 years, Meggs got 12
On Thursday, May 25, Elmer Stewart Rhodes III, 58, of Granbury, Texas, the founder and leader of the Oath Keepers, and Kelly Meggs, 54, of Dunnellon, Florida, the leader of the Florida chapter of the organization, were sentenced for seditious conspiracy and other charges related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.
Rhodes was sentenced to 18 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release. His is the longest sentence, to date, related to the assault on law enforcement and the U.S. Capitol Building. Meggs was sentenced to 12 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release.
Earlier in the day on Thursday, District Judge Amit Mehta Mehta ruled that Rhodes’ actions amounted to domestic terrorism.
“He was the one giving the orders,” Mehta said. “He was the one organizing the teams that day. He was the reason they were in fact in Washington DC. Oath Keepers wouldn’t have been there but for Stewart Rhodes, I don’t think anyone contends otherwise. He was the one who gave the order to go, and they went.” ~ CNN
“Today’s sentences reflect the grave threat the actions of these defendants posed to our democratic institutions,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The United States proved at trial that the Oath Keepers plotted for months to violently disrupt the peaceful transfer of power from one administration to the next. The Justice Department will continue to do everything in our power to hold accountable those criminally responsible for the January 6th attack on our democracy.”
“There have been few instances in our nation’s history when our fellow citizens have engaged in a seditious conspiracy — a conspiracy to use force to oppose the functioning of our government,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia. “More people were convicted of seditious conspiracy in connection with the siege of the Capitol on January 6, 2021, than any other criminal event since the statute was enacted during the Civil War. Today’s sentencing affirms the rule of law and imposes substantial consequences on Stewart Rhodes and Kelly Meggs who, together, conspired to violently attack our government and our democracy.”
Rhodes and Meggs were found guilty on November 29, 2022, following an eight-week trial and three days of deliberations. In addition to the seditious conspiracy charge, Rhodes was convicted of obstruction of an official proceeding and tampering with documents and proceedings. Meggs was also found guilty of conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, obstruction of an official proceeding, conspiracy to prevent an officer from discharging duties, and tampering with documents or proceedings.
According to the government’s evidence, the Oath Keepers are a large but loosely organized collection of individuals, some of whom are associated with militias. Following the November 3, 2020, presidential election, Rhodes, Meggs, and others began plotting to oppose, by force, the lawful transfer of presidential power. Beginning in late December 2020, via encrypted and private communications applications, Rhodes, Meggs, and others coordinated and planned to travel to Washington, D.C., on or around January 6, 2021, the date of the certification of the electoral college vote.
The defendants also, collectively, employed a variety of manners and means, including:
- organizing into teams that were prepared and willing to use force and to transport firearms and ammunition into Washington, D.C.;
- recruiting members and affiliates;
- organizing trainings to teach and learn paramilitary combat tactics;
- bringing and contributing paramilitary gear, weapons, and supplies – including knives, batons, camouflaged combat uniforms, tactical vests with plates, helmets, eye protection, and radio equipment – to the Capitol grounds;
- breaching and attempting to take control of the Capitol grounds and building on January 6, 2021, in an effort to prevent, hinder and delay the certification of the electoral college vote;
- using force against law enforcement officers while inside the Capitol on January 6, 2021;
- continuing to plot, after January 6, 2021, to oppose by force the lawful transfer of presidential power, and
- using websites, social media, text messaging and encrypted messaging applications to communicate with each other and others.
On January 6, 2021, a large crowd began to gather outside the Capitol perimeter as the Joint Session of Congress got under way at 1 p.m. Crowd members eventually forced their way through, up, and over U.S. Capitol Police barricades and advanced to the building’s exterior façade. Shortly after 2 p.m., crowd members forced entry into the Capitol by breaking windows, ramming open doors, and assaulting Capitol police and other law enforcement officers. At about this time, according to the government’s evidence, Rhodes entered the restricted area of the Capitol grounds and directed his followers to meet him at the Capitol.
At approximately 2:30 p.m., according to the government’s evidence, Meggs, along with other Oath Keepers and affiliates – many wearing paramilitary clothing and patches with the Oath Keepers name, logo, and insignia – marched in a “stack” formation up the east steps of the Capitol, joined a mob, and made their way into the Capitol. Rhodes remained outside, coordinating activities.
While certain Oath Keepers members and affiliates breached the Capitol grounds and building, others remained stationed just outside of the city in quick reaction force (QRF) teams. According to the government’s evidence, the QRF teams were prepared to rapidly transport firearms and other weapons into Washington, D.C., in support of operations aimed at using force to stop the lawful transfer of presidential power.
Rhodes was arrested on January 13, 2022, in Texas. Meggs was arrested on February 17, 2021, in Florida.
Prior to Thursday’s sentence, Peter Schwartz, who was armed with a wooden tire knocker and engaged in a series of assaults on officers during the Capitol attack, had received the longest time behind bars for a Jan. 6 defendant: just more than 14 years. Schwartz had 38 prior convictions. ~ NBC News
In the 28 months since January 6, 2021, more than 1,000 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 320 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing.
Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.
(Source: Department of Justice) / (Elmer Rhodes cover photo, Image credit: Twitter)
Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today / Follow Richard on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram
