By Steve Neavling
The leader and founder of the extremist far-right group Oath Keepers and 10 others were arrested and charged with seditious conspiracies and other crimes for their involvement in the Jan. 6 Capitol siege, the Justice Department announced Thursday.
Stewart Rhodes, 56, was arrested in Little Elm, Texas.
The Oath Keepers is a loosely organized group that focuses on recruiting current and former military, law enforcement and first-responder personnel.
According to the indictment, the defendants were wearing paramilitary gear and using a military formation to navigate the crowds and enter the Capitol.
They assaulted U.S. Capitol Police and conspired to storm the Capitol to prevent the certification of Joe Biden’s victory, prosecutors said.
The indictment marks the first time anyone has been charged with sedition for participating in the riot.
Since the riot, more than 725 people from nearly every state has been charged in connection with the insurrection. Of those, 225 have been charged with assaulting or impending law enforcement.
