WASHINGTON, D.C. – A federal jury found the leader of the Oath Keepers and one of the Central Florida associates guilty of seditious conspiracy Tuesday in the Jan. 6 trial.
Oath Keeper founder Stewart Rhodes and Kelly Meggs of Dunnellon were found guilty.
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Three other suspects, including Kenneth Harrelson, of Titusville, Jessica Watkins and Thomas Caldwell were found not guilty.
All five were on trial in an investigation into the far-right extremist group conspiring to keep former President Donald Trump in the White House in 2021, by helping to orchestrate the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Rhodes didn’t go inside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, but was accused of leading a plot that began shortly after the 2020 election to wage an armed rebellion to stop the transfer of presidential power.
Through recordings and encrypted messages, jurors heard how Rhodes rallied to fight to keep Trump in office, warned of a possible “bloody” civil war and expressed regret that the Oath Keepers didn’t bring rifles to the Capitol on Jan. 6.
Rhodes denied that there was a plan while on the stand and insisted his followers who went inside the Capitol went rogue.
Meggs and Rhodes now face a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for the conspiracy to commit sedition charge.
After the verdict was read, Rhodes’ attorneys said they would be appealing the seditious conspiracy verdict.
“This is not a total victory for the government in any way shape or form,” one attorney said.
Meggs, of Dunnellon, was arrested in February 2021. Video shows him inside the Capitol Building on Jan. 6.
In a jailhouse interview with News 6′s Erik Sandoval earlier this year, Meggs a Florida leader of The Oath Keepers, said he didn’t understand why he faced those charges.
“I could not believe what I saw on TV, because that was not what I saw. When I was there, there was two completely different things going on that day. I guess one side of the building, there was one thing going on, when the doors were open. The police were literally standing there at the door not even telling anybody not to come in. Everybody was just coming in. I mean, on the other side, apparently there was a battle going on,” he said.
But prosecutors cited chats on social media and text messages as proof that he was part of the group planning to prevent Congress from certifying the 2020 election.
Other charges
The five also faced lesser charges, related to efforts to stop Congress’ certification of the 2020 election on Jan. 6, 2021. They also faced various individual charges ranging from destruction of government property to tampering with documents or proceedings. Here’s a full list of the charges they were convicted on:
Elmer Stewart Rhodes:
- Seditious conspiracy
- Obstruction of an official proceeding
- Tampering with Documents or Proceedings
Kelly Meggs:
- Seditious conspiracy
- Conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding
- Obstruction of an official proceeding
- Conspiracy to prevent members of congress from discharging their duties
- Tampering with Documents or Proceedings
Kenneth Harrelson:
- Obstruction of an official proceeding
- Conspiracy to prevent members of congress from discharging their duties
- Tampering with Documents or Proceedings
Jessica Watkins:
- Conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding
- Obstruction of an official proceeding
- Conspiracy to prevent members of congress from discharging their duties
- Obstructing officers during a civil disorder
Thomas Caldwell:
- Obstruction of an official proceeding
- Tampering with Documents or Proceedings
The Justice Dept. says each of the five people was convicted of an offense that has a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. It will be up to the judge to decide the sentences.
Meggs and Harrelson are two of 35 Central Florida residents who have been arrested and charged in connection with the attack on the U.S. Capitol. The two men were briefly seen in video shown during the Jan. 6 congressional hearings.
The Washington, D.C. federal jury handed down their verdicts after three days of deliberations in the trial, which lasted nearly two months.
The verdict is considered a major win for the U.S. Justice Dept., which is prosecuting hundreds of people related to the insurrection.
“The Justice Department is committed to holding accountable those criminally responsible for the assault on our democracy on January 6, 2021. The prosecutors and agents on this case worked tirelessly, with extraordinary skill, and in the best traditions of the Department of Justice,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland in a statement Tuesday.
“As this case shows, breaking the law in an attempt to undermine the functioning of American democracy will not be tolerated,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray in a statement. “The FBI will always uphold the rights of all citizens who peacefully engage in First Amendment protected activities, but we and our partners will continue to hold accountable those who engaged in illegal acts regarding the January 6, 2021, siege on the U.S. Capitol.”
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.
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