The US Justice Department has sought prison sentences for eight members of the Oath Keepers. These eight Oath Keepers members are convicted defendants and the Justice Department is appealing prison sentences for their involvement in the January 6 Capitol Hill Riots in 2021. The prosecuting attorneys of the Justice Department filed court papers on July 12 demanding prison appeal for Stewart Rhodes, the leader of the Oath Keepers and other convicted members, who were sentenced by a federal judge back in May.
The Oath Keepers are an anti government militant organization founded by Stewart Rhodes back in 2009. Stewart Rhodes, a former US paratrooper and lawyer, was sentenced for 18 years of imprisonment by Judge Amit Mehta on May 25 of 2023 for seditious conspiracy and role played by him in organizing an armed militia that participated in the Capitol Hill Riot of January 9, 2021. Along with Rhodes, fellow Oath Keepers member Kelly Meggs was sentenced for 12 years of imprisonment for similar reasons, among others. Both Rhodes and Kelly will be on supervised release for a period of three years after their period of imprisonment comes to an end.
Justice Department Had Demanded For More Years Of Imprisonment For Rhodes & Megg
While Judge Amit Mehta has sentenced Stewart Rhodes for 18 years and Kelly Megg for 12, the Justice Department prosecutors had demanded 25 years for Rhodes and 21 years for Megg respectively. As the Justice Department prosecutors have filed on July 12 appealing prison sentences for the right of other Oath Keepers convicts, lawyers for Stewart Rhodes, Kelly Megg and four other convicted Oath Keepers members have not responded to their appeal.