US Convicts 4 Oath Keepers Of Seditious Conspiracy - Reports

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 24th January, 2023) Three members of the Oath Keepers organization, which includes present and former law enforcement officials and military veterans, and one individual associated with the organization have been convicted of seditious conspiracy for their role in the events of January 6, 2021, NBC news reported.

Prosecutors pointed out that the four men - Edward Vallejo, Joseph Hackett, Roberto Minuta and David Moerschel - sought to stop the certification of Joe Biden's 2020 Electoral College victory - a conspiracy that culminated with the entry in the US Capitol, the report said.

Prosecutors also noted that the four defendants used a "perverted" version of US history to justify their actions, the report said.

Vallejo was at a Virginia hotel with a stockpile of rifles to bolster what they called a "Quick Reaction Force," while his comrades led groups that sought to breach the US Capitol, the report said.

Defense attorneys argued that the men did not plan to storm the Capitol or upend the Electoral College proceedings regarding the 2020 presidential election, the report said.

The jury started deliberations on Thursday morning after a five-week trial, the report also said.

A sentencing date is yet to be set and the defendants will be placed on house arrest until they are sentenced, the report added.

The four may receive sentences of up to 20 years in Federal prison, according to the report.