Tuesday, November 5, 2024

Army Veteran Who Stormed Capitol Gets More Than 8 Years in Prison

Published:

— An veteran who stormed the U.S. Capitol in a -style formation with fellow members of the Oath Keepers was sentenced Friday to more than eight years in prison, a day after the far-right extremist group’s founder received an 18-year prison term in the Jan. 6, 2021 attack.

Jessica Watkins, of Woodstock, Ohio, was acquitted of the seditious conspiracy charge that Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes was found guilty of in November, but jurors convicted her of obstruction and conspiracy to impede Congress’ certification of President Joe Biden’s victory.

She is the third member of the antigovernment group to receive her punishment this week in one of the most serious cases the Justice Department has brought in the riot. Rhodes’ 18 year-term is the longest sentence that has been handed down so far in the hundreds of Capitol riot cases.

U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta said that while Watkins was not a top leader, like Rhodes, she was more than “just foot soldier,” noting that at least three others charged in the riot wouldn’t have been there if she hadn’t recruited them to join. He sentenced her to 8 1/2 years behind bars.

“Your role that day was more aggressive, more assaultive, more purposeful than perhaps others,” he told her.

Watkins tearfully apologized for her actions before the judge handed down her sentence. She condemned the violence by rioters who assaulted police, but said she knows…

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