The United States has secured an indictment against three members of the far-right Oath Keepers militia, accusing them of conspiring to storm the U.S. Capitol in a bid to stop Congress from certifying President Joe Biden’s electoral victory. The indictment alleges that Jessica Marie Watkins, 38, Donovan Ray Crowl, 50, both of Campaign County, Ohio, and Thomas Caldwell, 65, of Clarke County, Virginia, conspired as far back as November to obstruct Congress, a charge that can carry a maximum prison sentence of 20 years. The three were previously charged by criminal complaint, and all three were ordered detained after magistrate judges found that they posed a danger to the community and should be held without bond. The amended complaint against the three, which was made public earlier this month, revealed the FBI had collected messages that they received during the January 6 riots at the Capitol. In one, Watkins can be heard saying, “We have a good group. We have about 30-40 of us. We are sticking together and sticking to the plan.” In another message that Caldwell received during the attack, an unidentified person told him, “All members are in the tunnels under capital (sic). Seal them in. Turn on gas.” At Caldwell’s detention hearing January 19, a federal prosecutor said there was a possibility additional charges could be filed as the investigation proceeds, including charges of seditious conspiracy. None of the three has entered a plea in the case.
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