Oath Keepers founder sentenced to 18 years

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Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes in 2017 Associated Press/Photo by Susan Walsh, file

Oath Keepers founder sentenced to 18 years

A Washington, D.C., judge on Thursday handed down the sentence to Oath Keepers leader Stewart Rhodes for his role in the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021. A jury convicted Rhodes and another Oath Keepers leader, Kelly Meggs, of seditious conspiracy. Meggs was sentenced later on Thursday to 12 years in prison.

How does this compare to other January 6-related sentences? Rhodes’ sentence is the longest sentence handed down in relation to the Capitol riot. Peter Schwartz, a man with an extensive criminal record, received 14 years in prison for assaulting police officers with pepper spray and a chair. Rioter Richard Barnett—known for posing with his feet on the desk of then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi—on Wednesday received a sentence of four-and-a-half years in prison.

Dig deeper: Read Harvest Prude’s report from the WORLD archives about the shadow of the Capitol riot.

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