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Oath Keepers members found guilty in relation to Capitol riots

Stewart Rhodes, founder and leader of the far-right militia Oath Keepers, has been found guilty of plotting to stop Joe Biden taking office after the 2020 election.

Rhodes was found guilty of seditious conspiracy after a two-month trial.

According to prosecutors, he plotted an armed rebellion to stop the transfer of power from Trump to Biden.

Four others were also on trial at the same time, in relation to the 2021 Capitol riots. Kelly Meggs, Jessica Watkins and Kenneth Harrelson went inside the building during the attack. Meggs was also found guilty of seditious conspiracy.

Harrelson, Watkins and another man, Thomas Caldwell were found not guilty of seditious conspiracy.

Rhodes and Meggs face a maximum 20-year sentence.

All five were found guilty of obstruction of an official proceeding.

Rhodes was also found guilty of tampering with documents or proceedings and acquitted of two other conspiracy counts.

During the trial, it was revealed that the defendants stored weapons in a hotel room in Virginia, across the river from Washington DC and they planned to bring the weapons to the city in the event of mass civil disorder.

Rhodes messages to his followers seen by the court, called for them to "rise up in insurrection".

Image by Jacqui from Pixabay

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