Sarasota Oath Keeper charged with seditious conspiracy for actions surrounding Jan. 6
A federal grand jury indictment unsealed Thursday added new seditious conspiracy charges to the case against Sarasota Oath Keeper Joseph Hackett, who already was facing an array of other charges related to the Jan. 6, 2021 storming of the U.S. Capitol.
Hackett is among 11 Oath Keepers, including the group's leader, Elmer Stewart Rhodes III, to be indicted for seditious conspiracy. The indictment is the first time Rhodes has been charged for his involvement in the Capitol riot.
"The seditious conspiracy indictment alleges that, following the Nov. 3, 2020, presidential election, Rhodes conspired with his co-defendants and others to oppose by force the execution of the laws governing the transfer of presidential power," according to a United States Department of Justice press release.
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The 11 Oath Keepers - four of them from Florida, including Punta Gorda resident David Moerschel - included in the new indictment face some of the most serious charges filed so far against Jan. 6 participants. Seditious conspiracy carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
The case against the Oath Keepers, a right wing militia, is one of the most closely watched prosecutions to come out of Jan. 6 because it involves an alleged conspiracy by an extremist group to help overturn the election, with planning that began well ahead of time.
Federal prosecutors allege that Rhodes and other Oath Keepers engaged in a highly organized effort to stop the certification of Electoral College votes on Jan. 6. They held paramilitary training sessions and brought weapons to Washington.
"The defendants conspired through a variety of manners and means, including: organizing into teams that were prepared and willing to use force and to transport firearms and ammunition into Washington, D.C.... organizing trainings to teach and learn paramilitary combat tactics; bringing and contributing paramilitary gear, weapons and supplies... to the Capitol grounds; breaching and attempting to take control of the Capitol grounds... in an effort to prevent, hinder and delay the certification of the electoral college vote; using force against law enforcement officers while inside the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021... and using websites, social media, text messaging and encrypted messaging applications to communicate with co-conspirators and others," according to the Justice Department press release.
A Sarasota chiropractor, Hackett is among a group of Oath Keepers dressed in paramilitary gear who breached the Capitol in a "stack" formation shortly after 2:39 p.m. on Jan. 6, according to the indictment.
Federal authorities allege Hackett was intimately involved in planning the Oath Keepers' Jan. 6 operation.
According to the indictment, Hackett participated in an online meeting convened by Rhodes on Nov. 9, 2020. During that meeting "Rhodes outlined a plan to stop the lawful transfer of presidential power, including preparations for the use of force, and urged those listening to participate," according to the indictment.
Hackett and other Florida Oath Keepers held a training on "unconventional warfare" on Nov. 22, 2020, according to the indictment. He sent an email to another Oath Keeper on Dec. 19 with the subject line "test." The email included a photograph of a message in cursive handwriting, according to the indictment.
"Messages in cursive to eliminate digital reads," Hackett wrote, before mentioning "plans for recruitment and meetings."
Rhodes "continued advocating for the use of force to stop the lawful transfer of presidential power" in online chats that Hackett participated in, according to the indictment.
Between Jan. 1 and Jan. 5 Hackett was among a group of Oath Keepers who "transported firearms, ammunition, and related items to the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area," according to the indictment. The firearms were for multiple "quick reaction force" teams that could be deployed to the Capitol if called upon.
Since then federal authorities have continued to build their case against the Oath Keepers involved.
In June, Sarasota County Oath Keeper Graydon Young pled guilty to conspiracy and obstruction charges and agreed to cooperate with the government’s investigation. As part of Young’s plea deal he agreed to testify before a grand jury, sit down for interviews with law enforcement officers and turn over evidence.
Hackett was released from jail in August and has been on home confinement while his case proceeds.
Follow Herald-Tribune Political Editor Zac Anderson on Twitter at @zacjanderson. He can be reached at zac.anderson@heraldtribune.com
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Jan 6: Joseph Hackett indicted with Oath Keeper leader Stewart Rhodes
