Friday, March 29, 2024

Oath Keepers Found Guilty of Seditious Conspiracy

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A Washington, D.C. jury has found multiple members of the far-right Oath Keepers militia group guilty of for their actions leading up to and during the U.S. Capitol attack on Jan. 6, 2021.

The jury found all four defendants, Joseph Hackett, Roberto Minuta, David Moerschel and Edward Vallejo, guilty of seditious conspiracy. The four men plotted to use violence to keep former President in power despite Trump's loss in the to . The group was also charged with attempting to obstruct ' certification of Joe Biden's electoral college victory.

The men join Oath Keepers' founder , who was previously found guilty of the same charge for leading their plot to keep Trump in power.

CNN further reports:

The convictions are another win for the Justice Department who brought the rare charge against members of the far-right militia early last year. After a 10-week trial this fall, Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes as well as Kelly Meggs, a leader of the group in Florida, were the first of the group to be found guilty of seditious conspiracy.

A sentencing date was not set, but all four defendants will be placed on house arrest until they are sentenced, Judge Amit Mehta said Monday. They cannot have firearms in their house, and all four will have limitations on their phone communications and use.

The defendants on trial in the case were Minuta, an Oath Keeper from New Jersey who prosecutors described as one of Rhodes' “most trusted men”; Hackett, an alleged recruiter for the Florida Oath Keeper who prosecutors said is talented at hiding his identity; Moerschel, an alleged part of the so-called stack formation that prosecutors said acted as a “battering ram,” pushing through the mob and into the Capitol; and Vallejo, one of the alleged leaders of the armed quick reaction force, who prosecutors said called for “guerilla war” the morning of January 6.

In addition to the seditious conspiracy charges, Minuta, Hackett, Moerschel and Vallejo were also found guilty of conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, obstruction of an official proceeding and aiding and abetting, as well as conspiracy to prevent a member of Congress from discharging their official duties.

The charges of seditious conspiracy and obstruction of Congress each carry up to 20-year prison sentences.

Law & Crime has additional details on the group's plan:

Under Rhodes' leadership, the accused co-conspirators allegedly set up a cache of weapons and firearms — a so-called Quick Reaction Force, or QRF — at a hotel in Arlington, . Prosecutors say they intended to try and ferry the firepower over the Potomac River to the Capitol, where the mob of Trump supporters had faced off against . Rioters eventually broke into the Capitol building at around 2:15 p.m., forcing Congress to halt its certification of Biden's win.

Moerschel and Hackett are accused of joining Meggs, Harrelson, and Watkins in a military-style “stack” formation that was seen making its way through the crowd.

Vallejo isn't charged with entering the building, but he is alleged to have played a major role in setting up the QRF. On Jan. 6 itself, he told an Oath Keepers chat dedicated to a “DC Op” that day that he was awaiting instructions.

“QRF standing by at hotel,” Vallejo wrote at 2:38 p.m., some 15 minutes after the initial breach of the building. “Just say the word…”

This is a story. Click refresh for the latest updates.

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Patrick Houck
Patrick Houck
Patrick Houck is an avid political enthusiast based out of the Washington, D.C. metro area. His expertise is in campaigns and the use of targeted messaging to persuade voters. When not combing through the latest news, you can find him enjoying the company of family and friends or pursuing his love of photography.

4 COMMENTS

  1. When are they going to charge The FBI for Sedition, They were the ones behind the Riot, also how about Pelosi, and McConnell for not putting The Capitol Police on notice, and the mayor of DC for not putting Guardsman at the Capitol. There was a CONSIRACY ALRIGHT BUT IT WAS INSTIGATED BY THE FBI, AND OTHERS. WHAT A CON JOB.

  2. There is obviously no justice any longer. Sandy Berger has documents down his socks and underwear, Hillary deletes documents from her server and leaves it unprotected, Hillary starts a false Russian connection, Biden has documents in 5 places, but these people get prosecuted.

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