In the case before the District Court of Columbia, retired transgender soldier Watkins, who raided the Congress building with members of the far-right Oath Keepers, apologized for his mistake and could not prevent him from being sentenced to 8.5 years in prison.
District Judge Amit Mehta affirmed that Watkins was convicted of “aiding and abetting and obstructing a formal prosecution”, noting that the defendant’s behavior “played a role” in bringing other protesters to Washington on January 6.
In her apology speech before District Judge Amit Mehta, Jessica Watkins said, “My actions and actions on that fateful day were wrong and criminal as I understand it now. Violence is never the solution.” she used the phrase.
Watkins’ sentence was upheld a day after Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes was sentenced to 18 years for his leadership role in the Congressional raid.
Judicial proceedings were initiated against members of Oath Keepers in 2022
In a January 2021 statement from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the head of “Oath Keepers”, 65-year-old Thomas Edward Caldwell, as well as Jessica Watkins and Donovan Ray Crowl, were accused of conspiring against the United States and on January 6, at the Capitol. He was accused of planning the raid.
On October 4, 2022, Oath Keepers members were charged with “conspiracy to incite riot” in a congressional raid.