Jan. 23 (UPI) — A federal jury found four members of the far-right group Oath Keepers guilty on charges of seditious conspiracy Monday, adding to the list of Capitol rioters convicted in the wake of 2021’s attack on the Capitol.
A U.S. District Court in Washington determined that Roberto Minuta, Joseph Hackett, David Moerschel and Edward Vallejo are guilty of seditious conspiracy for their actions on and leading up to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol Building, NBC News reports.
They were also found guilty of obstruction of an official act, aiding and abetting, and conspiracy to prevent a member of Congress from discharging their official duties. They also were found guilty of trying to prevent the certification of results of the presidential election.
Hackett also was found guilty of tampering with documents or proceedings, according to CNN.
The four will be under house arrest with limited Internet access until their sentencing date, which is yet to be determined. The maximum sentence for seditious conspiracy is 20 years in prison.
The decision comes after a five-week trial and more than two days of jury deliberations.
Prosecutors said the defendants played distinct roles in either coordinating or executing the attack. Minuta was described by prosecutors as a close confidant to Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes. Rhodes and co-conspirator Kelly Meggs were found guilty of seditious conspiracy on Nov. 29.
The prosecution said Hackett was a recruiter for the Oath Keepers in Florida. Moerschel led a ground-attack formation to charge the Capitol Building, they said, adding that Vallejo is believed to be a leader of the group’s “quick reaction force,” according to the CNN report.
Vallejo allegedly directed other members from a hotel in Washington, possessing a cache of firearms in his room, authorities said.
Brian Ulrich, an Oath Keeper based in Georgia, was a key witness for the prosecution in the case. Ulrich pleaded guilty to seditious conspiracy in April. In his plea, he acknowledged he was involved with the riot with the intention of stopping Joe Biden from becoming president.
The defense argued that the prosecution did not provide clear evidence of conspiracy and suggested the government tampered with evidence. An attorney for Moerschel said the Oath Keepers are not an organized group.
Meanwhile, Richard Barnett, the man photographed with his feet on Rep. Nancy Pelosi‘s desk, was found guilty on eight counts for his actions on Jan. 6, including disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building with a dangerous weapon and theft of government property.
