Third Oath Keepers defendant pleads guilty to sedition

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A North Carolina member of the Oath Keepers pleaded guilty on Wednesday to seditious conspiracy and obstruction of an official proceeding in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

William Todd Wilson, a 44-year-old former leader of the Sampson County chapter of the far-right militia group, is the third Oath Keeper to admit to seditious conspiracy. Joshua James and Brian Ulrich pleaded guilty to the charge earlier this year and agreed to cooperate with the government.

Wilson has also agreed to cooperate in the ongoing investigation as part of a plea deal, the Justice Department said.

He conspired with Oath Keepers founder Elmer Stewart Rhodes to "oppose by force the lawful transfer of presidential power," according to a court filing.

He also joined others in amassing firearms "on the outskirts of Washington D.C. — some distributed across hotels and ‘quick reaction force’ (‘QRF‘) teams — and planned to use them in support of their plot to halt the lawful transfer of power," the filing said.

Wilson and his fellow conspirators used Signal, an encrypted messaging app, to engage in numerous communications in the weeks leading up to the riot. In one post on Dec. 14, 2020, Wilson wrote,

He drove to D.C. a day before the riot with an AR-15-style rifle, a pistol, ammunition, body armor, a camouflaged combat uniform, pepper spray, a large walking stick intended for use as a weapon, and a pocketknife, all of which he stored in a hotel room and was prepared to retrieve if called upon to do so, according to plea documents.
Wilson, who federal prosecutors said was both a military and law enforcement veteran, had not been charged until this week, which suggests he has already begun cooperating with authorities.

Nearly 800 people have been arrested in connection with the U.S. Capitol breach, and over 250 have pleaded guilty.

Just this week, a former New York City Police officer who assaulted a D.C. police officer on the day of the riot was found guilty by a jury, a former QAnon supporter from Pennsylvania who helped assault law enforcement officers with a giant "Trump" sign pleaded guilty, and a former Marine who kicked an officer was sentenced to more than two years in federal prison

As part of Wednesday's plea agreement, Wilson admitted under oath to a Statement of Offense, which is used in criminal proceedings to stipulate the facts of the case that a defendant acknowledges.

"At approximately 5:00 p.m., Wilson, Rhodes, and others left the Capitol grounds and walked together to the Phoenix Hotel," the statement read. "Rhodes then called an individual over speaker phone. Wilson heard, Rhodes repeatedly implore the individual to tell President Trump to call upon groups like the Oath Keepers to forcibly oppose the transfer of power."

"This individual denied Rhodes's request to speak directly with President Trump," the statement continued.

Wilson's plea agreement stated that he agreed to join Rhodes and other co-defendants in stopping the peaceful transition of power. In one "Leadership" group messaging chat, Rhodes allegedly implored the group, "We aren't getting through this without a civil war. Too late for that. Prepare your mind, body, spirit."

So...that's Chris Hemsworth?

fraid I don't get the joke.