4 guilty of conspiracy in latest Oath Keepers Jan. 6 trial

WASHINGTON — Four people linked to the Oath Keepers were convicted Monday of conspiracy and obstruction arising out of the attack on the US Capitol in the latest trial involving members of the far-right anti-government extremist group.

A Washington DC jury found Sandra Parker of Morrow, Ohio; Laura Steele of Thomasville, North Carolina; William Isaacs, of Kissimmee, Florida, and Connie Meggs, of Dunnellon, Florida, guilty of conspiracy to obstruct an official process and other felonies.

In a rare loss for prosecutors, Sandra Parker’s husband, Bennie Parker, was acquitted of disability and one conspiracy charge, and a sixth defendant — Michael Greene of Indianapolis, Indiana — was acquitted of two conspiracy charges.

The jury said they could not reach a verdict on an additional conspiracy charge against Bennie Parker and the obstruction charge against Greene, so the judge directed them to continue deliberating. All six defendants were convicted of trespassing.

They were the third group of Oath Keepers members and associates to be tried on serious charges in the riot that temporarily halted confirmation of President Joe Biden’s victory and injured dozens of police officers. Unlike other Oath Keepers, they have not been charged with seditious conspiracy – the most serious felony prosecutors have ever charged in the attack.

The verdict comes as prosecutors on Monday dropped their case in another high-profile Capitol riot trial of former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio and four lieutenants charged with seditious conspiracy for what prosecutors say was one Conspiracy to violently overthrow Biden’s election victory.

In November, Oath Keepers leader Stewart Rhodes and Kelly Meggs, who ran the Florida chapter of the Oath Keepers, were convicted of seditious conspiracy. Three other Oath Keepers were acquitted of the charge but found guilty of other serious crimes. After a second trial, four more Oath Keepers were convicted of seditious conspiracy in January. None of the Oath Keepers have yet been convicted.

Connie Meggs is Kelly Meggs’ wife.

Authorities claimed Oath Keepers spent weeks leading up to Jan. 6 preparing, undergoing training and recruiting others to come to Washington. Authorities said the extremist group hid guns in a Virginia hotel in case they were needed, donned tactical vests and helmets, and moved in an organized manner as they advanced on the Capitol.

The Oath Keepers have denied there was any conspiracy to storm the Capitol or stop Certification. Defense attorneys have argued that their clients only came to Washington to watch President Donald Trump speak or to provide security for speakers at pre-riot events, and that those who entered the Capitol did so spontaneously.

Greene took the stand for the defense at Rhodes’ trial in November and told the jury he had never heard anyone discuss plans to storm the Capitol. Rhodes told the jury in that case that he had chosen Greene to be the Jan. 6 “head of operations” after meeting Greene in 2017 when they were helping with disaster relief after Hurricane Harvey.

Greene said he was not a dues-paying member of the Oath Keepers but worked essentially as a contractor providing security services and had been asked to come to Washington before the riot to help with security operations for events around the Capitol.

Authorities said Sandra Parker, Connie Meggs, Issacs and Steele were among the group of Oath Keepers who stormed into the Capitol after marching up the building’s steps in a military-style “pile” formation.

Bennie Parker, who didn’t go in, told a reporter, “We just had a presidential election and it was stolen from us… all these people out here are patriots. And if we have to, they will, civil war ensues and many people are ready to take up arms,” ​​the indictment said.

Bennie Parker’s attorney, Stephen Brennwald, said after the verdict that his client would rather have been convicted of the serious charges than his wife, saying: “It tears him apart.”

More than half of the roughly 1,000 people charged with federal crimes related to Capitol riots have pleaded guilty, including more than 130 who have pleaded guilty. Of the 400 convicted, more than half received prison terms ranging from seven days to 10 years, according to a tally by the Associated Press.