WASHINGTON DC, USA – In a landmark ruling, Stewart Rhodes, the leader of the far-right Oath Keepers militia, has been sentenced to 18 years in prison for his role in organizing and mobilizing the pro-Trump attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021.
The sentence, handed down by Judge Amit P. Mehta in Federal District Court in Washington, on Thursday, May 25, 2023 marks the harshest penalty thus far among the more than 1,000 criminal cases related to the Capitol attack.
Notably, it is the first to be increased due to fitting the legal definition of terrorism.
Prosecutors had urged Judge Mehta to impose a 25-year prison sentence, emphasizing the need for accountability for the violence that took place at the Capitol and the potential threat it posed to American democracy.
Kathryn L. Rakoczy, one of the lead prosecutors, highlighted Rhodes’ long-standing calls for attacks against the government and his instrumental role in mobilizing his followers to storm the Capitol.
“It is conduct that threatened — and continues to threaten — the rule of law in the United States,” Rakoczy argued.
The sentencing hearing, which lasted nearly four hours, saw Judge Mehta condemn Rhodes for his persistent efforts, as the leader of the Oath Keepers, to incite violence against American democracy.
Addressing Rhodes directly, the judge stated, “You, sir, present an ongoing threat and a peril to this country, to the Republic, and the very fabric of our democracy.”
In his defense, Rhodes, wearing an orange prison smock and his signature black eye patch, delivered a defiant speech to the court. He blamed the news media for demonizing the Oath Keepers and likened himself to political dissidents throughout history. Rhodes asserted, “I am a political prisoner.”
The sentencing of Stewart Rhodes sets a precedent for the eight remaining members of the Oath Keepers who were convicted of various charges related to the Capitol attack. Over the course of the week, these individuals will also face sentencing hearings.
The prosecution’s push for a severe punishment reflects the rising acceptance of political violence in the United States and the need for deterrents against future unrest.
In court documents, the prosecutors emphasized the justice system’s pivotal role in determining whether January 6 becomes an isolated incident or a turning point for the country.
Judge Mehta’s decision to enhance Rhodes’ sentence was based on the argument that his repeated calls for violence against the government and his plan to stage an arsenal of weapons outside Washington on January 6 constituted an act of terrorism.
Rhodes’ defense lawyers, Phillip Linder and James L. Bright, were constrained in their plea for leniency due to their client’s lack of remorse and ongoing threat to the government.
Linder suggested that Rhodes had been made the face of the Capitol attack, while figures like former President Donald J. Trump were more responsible for the chaos and violence on that day.
In delivering the sentence, Judge Mehta stressed that seditious conspiracy, the charge for which Rhodes was convicted, is one of the most serious crimes an individual can commit in America.
He admonished Rhodes, stating that he had not been prosecuted for his political beliefs but for his actions, which involved planning to take up arms and foment revolution because he disagreed with the election results.
The trial of Stewart Rhodes, along with other Oath Keepers members and the Proud Boys, marks a significant milestone in the Justice Department’s extensive investigation into the Capitol attack.
The convictions of Rhodes and his co-defendants on sedition charges were the first since 1995 when a group of Islamic militants was found guilty
