WASHINGTON: In a second significant trial of far-right extremists accused of conspiring to forcibly keep President Donald Trump in office, four members of the January 6, 2021 Capitol attack swearing-in were found guilty of treasonous conspiracy on Monday.

Following a separate jury conviction of Stewart Rhodes, leader of the group, in the mob attack that blocked the certification of President Joe Biden's election victory, Joseph Hackett of Sarasota, Florida, Roberto Minuta of Prosper, Texas, David of Punta Gorda The verdict against Marshall, Florida, and Edward Vallejo of Phoenix was announced.

The Justice Department, which is also attempting to obtain treason convictions against the former Proud Boys leader and four associates, has scored another significant victory.

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The court case of Enrique Tarrio and his lieutenants began earlier this month in Washington and is expected to last several weeks.
The Washington jury deliberated for nearly 12 hours over the course of three days before finding the defendant guilty of the rarely used charge, which carries a potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison.

All four pleaded guilty to obstruction of Congressional certification of the 2020 election, as well as two additional conspiracy charges. On lesser charges, Minuta, Hackett, and Moerschel were acquitted.

A sentencing date was not immediately set by the judge. The men were not deemed to pose a flight risk, so the judge rejected the prosecution's request while they awaited sentencing. He was instructed to continue to be electronically monitored while under house arrest.

One of the most serious cases ever brought to light in the extensive January 6 inquiry, which continues two years after the riots, was brought to this instance. Nearly 1,000 people have been charged by the Justice Department with participating in the riots, and that number grows every week.

Following the verdict, Attorney General Merrick Garland "expressed his gratitude to prosecutors, agents and staff for their outstanding work."

In the previous trial, which ended in November, Oath Keepers founder Rhodes and Florida chapter founder Kelly Meigs were found guilty of seditious conspiracy.

He was the first person to be convicted of a Civil War-era charge in court in decades. While three additional oath-keepers in that case were cleared of charge, they were found guilty of other serious crimes. All of them are waiting for the verdict.

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After the decision, attorneys for Marshall and Minuta argued that the judge's decision to split the case into two groups had harmed their clients by preventing them from testifying with Rhodes. Morchel could identify Rhodes as "the real bad guy", according to his attorney, Scott Weinberg.

Weinberg said, "I believe it would be easy to have a low-level person in a position similar to Stuart Rhodes, who is essentially the head of this organization.

Minuta's attorney, William Shipley Jr., expressed disappointment and "some degree of puzzlement" at the decision. He claimed that there were holes in the evidence and that the government's witnesses could not withstand close examination. Shipley commented, "We really didn't think the government had really had a good day in 15 days of trial testimony."

Vallejo walked out of court without addressing the media. Following the verdict, Angela Halim, Joseph Hackett's attorney, chose not to comment.

According to Shipley, residents of a small judicial district that was nearly all affected by the events of January 6 were brought to trial. "I believe that brings up some very worrying issues.

Jurors were informed by prosecutors that Rhodes and his group of extremists began planning an armed insurgency shortly after the 2020 election to keep Trump in power. The messages appear to show Rhodes and the oath takers debating the possibility of a "bloody" civil war and the need to prevent Biden from assuming the presidency.

"Our democracy was under attack, but for the defendants it was everything they trained for and a moment to celebrate," prosecutor Luis Manzo said in his closing arguments.

The Oath Keepers reportedly gathered weapons and stored them in a Virginia hotel for teams known as the "Quick Reaction Force", which would transport weapons to Washington to support their plan if necessary. could transport. He never used weapons.

Defense attorneys argued that those sworn in had come to Washington to provide security in events prior to the riot, and that the violent messages were merely a sham.

He seized on the lack of evidence provided by the prosecution that the Oath Keepers had a clear plan to storm the Capitol before January 6, and informed the jury that the extremists who stormed the building had acted like thousands of other rioters. Did this accidentally.

According to William Lee Shipley, a lawyer for Minuta, "They left evidence out and they cherry-picked what they wanted." The Oath Keepers used the riot as a means to an end and acted quickly to support Trump's reelection, according to the prosecution, even though there is no evidence that a specific attack on the Capitol was planned.

Prosecutors claim that before entering the building, Hackett, Moerschel, and other Oath Keepers formed a stack as they approached the Capitol. 

According to court documents, Minuta and his group of Oath Keepers from a second stack fought with police after responding to Rhodes' order to rush to the Capitol.

Vallejo, a US Army veteran and ally of Rhodes, allegedly travelled from Arizona to the hotel outside of Washington to train with the "QRF," or quick reaction force. On the morning of January 6, jurors heard Vallejo on tape discussing a "declaration of a guerilla war."

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In an effort to receive a lesser sentence, three additional Oath Keepers have pleaded guilty to seditious conspiracy and agreed to assist the prosecution. They are among the 500 or so individuals who have admitted guilt to charges related to riots