Stuart Rhodes, founder of the far-right group Oath Keepers, has been sentenced to 18 years in prison for inciting people to riot while storming Congress on January 6, 2021.
Rhodes’ sentence is the first of its kind. He was found guilty of being behind a plot that lasted several weeks and ended with the division guards heading to the front during the break-in. The goal was to prevent Joe Biden from being elected President of the United States.
The sentence is the longest yet handed down after the attack. It’s still much milder than the prosecution wanted. They wanted him to be sentenced to 25 years in prison.
On January 6, 2021, thousands of Trump supporters gathered in Washington to protest the election results. About 2,000 stormed Congress.
Legal action is now underway against those who entered the important American building.
– One of the most serious crimes
Rhodes is now convicted of sedition conspiracy, that is, of incitement to rebellion. according to CNN It is the first time in over ten years that someone has been convicted of this.
CNN writes that the district judge in the case, Amit Meht, had this to say about the verdict:
– This is one of the most serious crimes you can commit. The use of force is a crime against the government. It is a crime against our country.
Rhodes himself claimed to be a “political prisoner”.
According to the Reuters news agency, Rhodes is a former US Army paratrooper who eventually trained as a lawyer.
Rhodes is said to have been one of the main reasons he stormed Congress.
– It was he who gave the orders. It was he who organized the groups. Moht said during the court session on Thursday that he is the biggest reason for the oath guards to come to Washington.
Stewart Rhodes took to the court on Thursday.
Photo: AP
“Coffee trailblazer. Certified pop culture lover. Infuriatingly humble gamer.”
