Judge to sentence 2 Oath Keepers members after handing down punishment for group’s founder

May 26, 2023, 3:05 AM

FILE - This artist sketch depicts the trial of Oath Keepers leader Stewart Rhodes and four others c...

FILE - This artist sketch depicts the trial of Oath Keepers leader Stewart Rhodes and four others charged with seditious conspiracy in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack, in Washington, Oct. 6, 2022. Shown above are, witness John Zimmerman, who was part of the Oath Keepers' North Carolina Chapter, seated in the witness stand, defendant Thomas Caldwell, of Berryville, Va., seated front row left, Oath Keepers leader Stewart Rhodes, seated second left with an eye patch, defendant Jessica Watkins, of Woodstock, Ohio, seated third from right, Kelly Meggs, of Dunnellon, Fla., seated second from right, and defendant Kenneth Harrelson, of Titusville, Fla., seated at right. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn Rakoczy is shown in blue standing at right before U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta. U.S. Army veterans Watkins and Harrelson are scheduled to be sentenced on Friday, May 26, 2023 (Dana Verkouteren via AP)
Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS

(Dana Verkouteren via AP)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Two members of the Oath Keepers who stormed the U.S. Capitol in a military-style formation will be sentenced Friday, a day after the far-right extremist group’s founder received an 18-year prison term for seditious conspiracy and other charges in the Jan. 6, 2021 attack.

U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta will sentence Army veterans Jessica Watkins and Kenneth Harrelson after handing Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes the longest prison sentence so far in more than 1,000 criminal cases brought in the Jan. 6 riot.

Watkins and Harrelson were acquitted of seditious conspiracy but convicted of obstructing Congress in the trial alongside Rhodes and other members of the group that ended in November. One of their other co-defendants, Florida chapter leader Kelly Meggs, was sentenced Thursday to 12 years behind bars.

Harrelson was the group’s “ground team lead” when Oath Keepers joined the mob that stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6 and disrupted the joint session of Congress certifying President Joe Biden’s electoral victory. Watkins founded and led a separate Ohio-based militia. Harrelson and Watkins marched toward the Capitol with other Oath Keepers members in “stack” formations.

Rhodes, 58, of Granbury, Texas, was the first Jan. 6 defendant convicted of seditious conspiracy to receive his punishment for what prosecutors said was a weekslong plot to forcibly block the transfer of power from former President Donald Trump to Biden. Four other Oath Keepers convicted of the sedition charge during a second trial in January will be sentenced next week.

Justice Department prosecutors are seeking an 18-year prison sentence for Watkins, of Woodstock, Ohio, and a 15-year prison sentence for Harrelson, of Titusville, Florida.

Mehta canceled a sentencing hearing scheduled this week for another defendant — Thomas Caldwell of Berryville, Virginia — as the judge weighs whether to overturn the jury’s guilty verdict against Caldwell for obstruction and a documents tampering charge.

Lawyers for Oath Keepers argued there was no plan to attack the Capitol and insisted they never intended to interfere with Congress’ certification of the election. Watkins testified at the trial that storming the Capitol was a “really stupid” decision, saying she got swept up in what seemed to be a “very American moment.” Harrelson didn’t take the witness stand.

During his sentencing Thursday, Rhodes defiantly claimed to be a “political prisoner,” criticized prosecutors and the Biden administration and tried to play down his actions on Jan. 6. The judge described Rhodes as a continued threat to the United States who clearly “wants democracy in this country to devolve into violence.”

The judge in Rhodes’ case agreed with the Justice Department that Rhodes’ actions should be punished as “terrorism,” which increases the recommended sentence under federal guidelines. Judges had previously rejected such requests in other Jan. 6 cases.

The Oath Keepers’ sentences this week could serve as a guide for prosecutors in a separate Jan. 6 case against leaders of the Proud Boys extremist group. Earlier this month, a different jury convicted former Proud Boys national chairman Enrique Tarrio and three other group leaders of seditious conspiracy for what prosecutors said was another plot to keep Trump in the White House.

Before Thursday, the longest sentence in the more than 1,000 Capitol riot cases was 14 years and two months for a man with a long criminal record who attacked police officers with pepper spray and a chair as he stormed the Capitol. Just over 500 of the defendants have been sentenced, with more than half receiving prison time.

___

Richer reported from Boston.

United States News

Photo of Rep. Juan Ciscomani of Arizona talks to reporters on Capitol Hill on Feb. 28, 2023. Ciscom...

Kevin Stone

GOP Rep. Juan Ciscomani of Arizona explains why he voted to lift debt ceiling

U.S. Rep. Juan Ciscomani of Arizona said Friday the deal to life the debt ceiling isn't perfect, but it beats the alternative.

12 hours ago

Associated Press

Boxer Gervonta Davis jailed after moving without permission while on home detention

BALTIMORE (AP) — A Baltimore judge has ordered professional boxer Gervonta Davis to serve the remainder of his hit-and-run crash sentence behind bars instead of in home detention after he moved to a luxury hotel and then a new home without the judge’s permission, the state’s attorney’s office confirmed Friday. Baltimore Circuit Court Judge Althea […]

12 hours ago

A memorial for Cyrus Carmack-Belton is seen on Thursday, June 1, 2023, in Columbia, S.C. Authoritie...

Associated Press

Community mourns teenager’s death after gas station owner charged with murder

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — The death of a 14-year-old boy who authorities say was fatally shot in the back by a gas station owner has left community members grieving and crying out against racial profiling in the South Carolina capital city where he’d recently completed middle school. A Friday evening prayer vigil is planned at […]

12 hours ago

FILE - Visitors stand on the west steps of the Colorado State Capitol on April 23, 2023, in Denver....

Associated Press

Ghost guns banned under new Colorado law signed by governor

DENVER (AP) — Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signed a bill Friday banning firearms that are assembled at home or 3D-printed without serial numbers, weapons that allowed owners to evade background checks and impede law enforcement’s ability to track a gun’s origins in an investigation. The new law is the latest in a slew of gun […]

12 hours ago

Missouri State history instructor Edward Gutting was found not guilty of first-degree murder of the...

Associated Press

Missouri professor not guilty by reason of insanity in stabbing death of colleague

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP) — A former history professor at Missouri State University charged in the stabbing death of a colleague was found not guilty Friday by reason of insanity. Greene County Judge David Jones announced his ruling in the case of Edward Gutting, who was charged with first-degree murder in the Springfield News-Leader reported. The […]

12 hours ago

FILE - Nate Coulter executive director of the Central Arkansas Library System (CALS) poses for a ph...

Associated Press

Suit challenges Arkansas law allowing librarians to be criminally charged over ‘harmful’ materials

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — A federal lawsuit filed Friday challenges an Arkansas law that would subject librarians and booksellers to criminal charges if they provide “harmful” materials to minors. A coalition that includes the Central Arkansas Library System in Little Rock filed the challenge to the law, which takes effect Aug. 1. The new […]

12 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

...

Desert Institute for Spine Care

Spinal fusion surgery has come a long way, despite misconceptions

As Dr. Justin Field of the Desert Institute for Spine Care explained, “we've come a long way over the last couple of decades.”

...

re:vitalize

Why drug-free weight loss still matters

Wanting to lose weight is a common goal for many people as they progress throughout life, but choosing between a holistic approach or to take medicine can be a tough decision.

(Photo by Michael Matthey/picture alliance via Getty Images)...

Cox Communications

Valley Boys & Girls Club uses esports to help kids make healthy choices

KTAR’s Community Spotlight focuses on the Boys & Girls Club of the Valley and the work to incorporate esports into children's lives.

Judge to sentence 2 Oath Keepers members after handing down punishment for group’s founder