Four Members of Far-Right Militia Group Oath Keepers Found Guilty of Seditious Conspiracy in Connection with Capitol Attack

A jury in Washington, DC has found four members of the far-right militia group Oath Keepers guilty of seditious conspiracy in connection with the January 6, 2021 Capitol attack. This is the second major trial of far-right extremists accused of plotting to forcibly keep President Donald Trump in power.

The four men convicted are Joseph Hackett of Sarasota, Florida; Roberto Minuta of Prosper, Texas; David Moerschel of Punta Gorda, Florida; and Edward Vallejo of Phoenix. They were accused of plotting to stop the certification of Joe Biden’s 2020 electoral college victory, a conspiracy that culminated in the attack on the US Capitol.

The verdict comes weeks after a different jury convicted the group’s leader, Stewart Rhodes, in the mob’s attack that halted the certification of President Joe Biden’s electoral victory. Rhodes and Kelly Meggs, a leader of the group in Florida, were the first of the group to be found guilty after a 10-week trial this fall.

The four men convicted on Monday now face up to 20 years in prison. The Justice Department has charged more than 400 people in connection with the Capitol attack, and more than 100 of them are alleged to have ties to extremist groups. The convictions of the Oath Keepers are seen as a major victory for the Justice Department in its efforts to hold those responsible for the attack accountable.