US Capitol attack: Oath Keepers founder sentenced to 18 years for seditious conspiracy

Stewart Rhodes, who is the founder of far-right militant Oath Keepers, has been sentenced to 18 years by a federal judge in connection to the January 6 attack on the US Capitol.

Rhodes was convicted of seditious conspiracy and the sentence is the longest imposed on a January 6 defendant to date. Before that, the longest sentence was 14 years, which was given to a Pennsylvania man who attacked police during the rampage.

Before handing down the sentence, Judge Amit Mehta said, "You, sir, present an ongoing threat and a peril to this country and to the republic and to the very fabric of this democracy."

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Rhodes and Kelly Meggs, another Oath Keepers member who will be sentenced later Thursday afternoon, were convicted of seditious conspiracy in November.

In a message ahead of the US Capitol attack, Rhodes wrote: "They won't fear us until we come with rifles in hand."

In a video after the attack, he stated that his sole regret was that they "should have brought rifles". The video was played in court during his trial.

Rhodes is the Yale-educated former Army paratrooper, who created the far-right Oath Keepers group.

He appeared in federal court on Thursday to be sentenced for seditious conspiracy and other charges related to the attack on the Capitol.

The prosecutors sought 25 years in jail. Federal prosecutor Kathryn Rakoczy said, "Mr. Rhodes led a conspiracy to use force and violence to intimidate and coerce members of our government into stopping the lawful transfer of power following a presidential election. As the court has just found - that is terrorism."

During the hearing, Rhodes insisted that he is a "political prisoner" who, just like former president Donald Trump, is trying to confront people "who are destroying our country".

Besides seditious conspiracy, a felony accusation including intending "to overthrow, put down, or destroy by force the government of the United States", Rhodes was convicted of hindering an official proceeding and tampering with records.

Judge Mehta also said, "Seditious conspiracy is among the most serious crimes an American can commit,"

"You present an ongoing threat and a peril to this country," Mehta told Rhodes, further adding that "you are smart, charismatic and compelling and that is frankly what makes you dangerous".

Notably, Rhodes was acquitted of two further charges.

In the same trial, three other Oath Keepers were convicted of obstructing an official proceeding, as the rioters shut down the Congress and sent lawmakers and vice president Mike Pence fleeing to safety.

(With inputs from agencies)

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