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A4 U.S. NEWS
Tuesday 24 January 2023
Four Oath Keepers convicted of Jan. 6 seditious conspiracy

By MICHAEL KUNZELMAN Washington to support their
and ALANNA DURKIN RICH- plot if they were needed.
ER The weapons were never
Associated Press used.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Four Rhodes and Florida chap-
members of the Oath Keep- ter leader Kelly Meggs were
ers were convicted Mon- convicted of seditious con-
day of seditious conspiracy spiracy in the previous trial
in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol that ended in November.
attack in the second major They were the first people
trial of far-right extremists in decades found guilty
accused of plotting to forc- at trial of the Civil War-era
ibly keep President Donald charge. Three other Oath
Trump in power. Keepers were cleared of
The verdict against Jo- the charge in that case but
seph Hackett of Sarasota, were found guilty of other
Florida; Roberto Minuta of serious crimes. They are all
Prosper, Texas; David Moer- awaiting sentencing.
schel of Punta Gorda, Flor- Defense attorneys sought
ida; and Edward Vallejo of to downplay violent mes-
Phoenix comes weeks after sages as mere bluster and
after a different jury con- said the Oath Keepers
victed the group’s leader, came to Washington to
Stewart Rhodes, in the Members of the Oath Keepers extremist group stand on the East Front of the U.S. Capitol on provide security at events
mob’s attack that halted Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. before the riot.
the certification of Presi- Associated Press They seized on prosecu-
dent Joe Biden’s electoral which carries up to 20 years with electronic monitoring. and the Oath Keepers dis- tors’ lack of evidence that
victory. in prison. The four were also It was one of the most seri- cussing the prospect of a the Oath Keepers had an
It’s another major victory convicted of two other ous cases brought so far in “bloody” civil war and the explicit plan to storm the
for the Justice Department, conspiracy charges as well the sweeping Jan. 6 inves- need to keep Biden out of Capitol before Jan. 6 and
which is also trying to se- as obstructing an official tigation, which continues the White House. told jurors that the extrem-
cure sedition convictions proceeding: Congress’ cer- to grow two years after the “Our democracy was un- ists who attacked the Capi-
against the former leader tification of the 2020 elec- riot. The Justice Depart- der attack, but for the de- tol acted spontaneously
of the Proud Boys and four tion. Minuta, Hackett and ment has charged nearly fendants it was everything like thousands of other riot-
associates. Moerschel were acquitted 1,000 people in the riot and they trained for and a mo- ers.
The trial against Enrique of lesser charges. the tally increases by the ment to celebrate,” pros- Prosecutors argued that
Tarrio and his lieutenants The judge didn’t immedi- week. ecutor Louis Manzo told ju- while there is not evidence
opened earlier this month in ately set a date for sen- Prosecutors told jurors that rors in his closing argument. specifically spelling out a
Washington and is expect- tencing. The judge denied Oath Keepers leader Stew- Prosecutors alleged that plan to attack the Capi-
ed to last several weeks. prosecutors’ bid to lock up art Rhodes and his band the Oath Keepers amassed tol, the Oath Keepers saw
The Washington jury delib- the men while they await of extremists began shortly weapons and stashed the riot as a means to an
erated for about 12 hours sentencing, finding them after the 2020 election to them at a Virginia hotel for end and sprung into action
over three days before de- not to be a risk of flight. prepare an armed rebel- so-called “quick reaction at an apparent opportu-
livering their guilty verdict They were ordered to re- lion to keep Trump in pow- force” teams that could nity to help keep Trump in
on the rarely used charge, main in home detention er. Messages show Rhodes quickly shuttle guns into power.q

Hazing suit at Bowling Green ends with nearly $3M settlement

By JOHN SEEWER died from alcohol poison- million from Bowling Green had attended a fraternity and allows us to focus on
Associated Press ing while pledging a frater- State University to settle its initiation event where there furthering our shared mis-
The family of a student who nity will receive nearly $3 hazing-related lawsuit, ac- was a tradition of new sion of eradicating haz-
cording to an agreement members finishing or at- ing in Ohio and across the
announced Monday. tempting to finish a bottle nation. Leading these ef-
As part of the settlement, of alcohol, according to a forts in our communities is
the family of Stone Foltz university investigation. the real work that honors
and the university both Foltz, from Delaware, Stone,” the statement said.
said they will work to ad- Ohio, was found uncon- The settlement with the
dress and eliminate haz- scious after members of university is on top of more
ing on college campuses. the Pi Kappa Alpha frater- than $7 million in payouts
Foltz’s parents have start- nity dropped him off at his made to the family by the
ed a foundation focused apartment. He died three Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity
on hazing education and days after he was put on and those who had a role
have spoke to students at life support. Both sides in the hazing, according to
other universities about its said in a joint statement is- court documents.
dangers. “We can con- sued Monday that they will Eight former fraternity
tinue our fight saving lives,” be forever impacted by members either pleaded
Shari Foltz, second left, speaks while her husband Cory Foltz, left, said Shari Foltz, whose son his death. “This resolution guilty or were found guilty
sit next to attorneys Rex Elliott, second right, and Sean Alto in a died died of alcohol poi- keeps the Foltz family and on various charges, includ-
press conference where Elliott announced that the Foltz family soning in March 2021. BGSU community from re- ing reckless homicide, haz-
will receive nearly $3 million from Bowling Green State University A university investigation living the tragedy for years ing and giving alcohol to a
to settle its lawsuit Monday, Jan. 23 2023, in Bowling Green, Ohio.
Associated Press found that the 20-year-old to come in the courtroom minor.q