Stewart Rhodes, Oath Keepers founder, sentenced to 18 years in prison

Stewart Rhodes, the founder of far-right Oath Keepers group, has been sentenced to 18 years in prison for his role in the seditious conspiracy to disrupt the electoral count on January 6, 2021.

Conviction and sentencing details: Rhodes, a Yale Law School graduate, was convicted of sedition and multiple other felonies.
* His prison term could influence Enrique Tarrio’s sentence, the former chairman of the far-right Proud Boys group, who faces the same charge later this summer.
* During the trial, prosecutors presented thousands of messages from Rhodes and other Oath Keepers before, during, and after the events of January 6.

Rhodes’ reaction: Rhodes pledged to appeal his conviction, cast himself as a political prisoner, and likened himself to the protagonist in a Franz Kafka novel.
* He plans to “expose the criminality of this regime” while in prison, comparing himself to a ~~”Soviet dissident.”~~

Judge’s decision: U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta rejected Rhode’s bid for leniency and his claims of being targeted for political reasons.
* He called a seditious conspiracy ~~”among the most serious crimes an individual American can commit.”~~
* The Justice Department had asked for a 25-year sentence, while Rhodes’s legal team requested time served, approximately a year and a half.

View original article on NPR

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