Federal prosecutors announced the charges of nine members of the Oath Keepers militia, including six who were recently arrested and charged on Friday for conspiracy in the Capitol Riot. Seven in the group were part of a tactical “pile” of people dressed in combat clothing who pushed through the crowds to enter the Capitol, the government said.
The nine were indicted by a grand jury on charges that included conspiracy, obstruction of official procedure and restricted charges of construction or land.
Prosecutors say the group used military-style tactics – keeping hands behind each other to communicate as they entered the building – and coordinated with other Oath Keepers before and during the attack, using apps like MeWe and Zello.
The six defendants on Friday are Ohio residents, Sandra Parker, 60, and Bennie Parker, 70, and Florida residents Kelly Meggs, 52, Connie Meggs, 59, and Graydon Young, 54, and resident of North Carolina Laura Steele, 52. Thomas Caldwell, 65, Jessica Watkins, 38, and Donovan Crowl, 50, were also charged in Friday’s new indictment, although the three had already been indicted by a grand jury in January.
The Oath Keepers are a loosely organized collection of militias, prosecutors say, that focus on recruiting current and former military, police and first responders. The group believes that the federal government was “co-opted by an obscure conspiracy that is trying to deprive American citizens of their rights”, prosecutors say, and the group’s name comes from the military and police oath to defend the Constitution “of all enemies, foreign and domestic. “
The complaint details an email sent on January 4 from oathkeepers.org, with a subject line, “Call to Action: Oath Keepers being deployed in DC to protect events, speakers and participants from January 5 to 6: Time to rise!” The e-mail stated that the group would have “QRF teams well armed and equipped to stand by”, referring to the military acronym for “rapid reaction force” in the case of a scenario “where the president calls us as part of the militia to [sic] help you within DC. ”
The email also said: “As always, during security operations, we will have some of our men in ‘gray man’ mode, with no identifiable Oath Keepers equipment. For every Oath Keeper you see, there are at least two you uses I don’t see. “
Prosecutors said Steele sent a five-page document that appeared to be an online application for the Florida Oath Keepers on January 3. In the document, she wrote: “I have 13 years of law enforcement experience in North Carolina. I served as a K-9 officer and a member of the SWAT team. I currently work with private armed security to [company name redacted]. I am a PPS licensed through North Carolina Private Protection Services. “
Seven members of the group, including Watkins and Crowl, stayed at the same hotel the night before the attack. In the days leading up to January 6, Watkins, self-described as commanding officer of the Ohio State Regular Militia, sent messages to people she labeled on her phone as recruits – including Bennie Parker. She advised Parker to pack khaki pants and told him where to meet on January 6.
The group drew attention for its “stack” tactical training, which experts quickly identified as a military-style strategy, and has been a priority for the US prosecutor’s sedition task force.