It’s another major victory for the Justice Department, which is also trying to secure sedition convictions against the former leader of the Proud Boys and four associates.
Rhodes and his co-defendants are accused of conspiring to prevent — by force, if necessary — the transfer of presidential power to Joe Biden.
“They concocted a plan for an armed rebellion to shatter a bedrock of American democracy.”
Prosecutors allege the plot included stashing guns just outside Washington, D.C, for a quick reaction force to rush into the city, if necessary.
“It felt as if a mob was being organized, and they were gathering together their weaponry, their logic and their reasoning behind why they were prepared to fight.”
Extremist groups like the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys have been at the forefront of the federal criminal investigation into the Capitol breach.
Joshua Macias was arrested on weapons and elections law charges in November 2020 after he drove to where votes were being counted with guns and ammunition.
A member of the far-right Oath Keepers extremist group has pleaded guilty to seditious conspiracy and obstruction in connection with the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
The Justice Department announced the charges against Stewart Rhodes on Thursday. He is the highest-ranking member of an extremist group to be arrested in the deadly siege.
