According to the plea agreement, 44-year-old Ulrich will co-operate with the Justice Ministry in his historic prosecution of the far-right extremist organization. He could face more than six years in prison, according to a deal read aloud during Wednesday’s hearing, but prosecutors may ask for a lower sentence, depending on Ulrich’s level of co-operation.
A guilty plea is another major step in the Oath Guardians’ criminal case, as prosecutors are working to show how they believe the group of men planned to hide weapons across the Potomac River, go to the Capitol and suspend certification of the Electoral Congress. college vote. The case has grown dramatically over the past year, relying in part on explosive personal messages between Oath Keepers leaders, a video of the group’s week in the District of Columbia, and the involvement of at least six other Occupy Capitol riot indictees. Organization of the guards.
The request comes almost two months after his colleague, oath guard Joshua James, who served as a private bodyguard for right-wing figures around Jan. 6, pleaded guilty to riot charges.
“If you did that, agree with me [Oath Keepers leader Stewart] Rhodes and develop a plan to stop the legal transfer of presidential power by force on January 6, 2021, “US District Judge Amit Mehta asked during Friday’s hearing.
“Yes, your honor,” Ulrich said.
Rhodes, who is also accused of plotting a rebellion, pleaded not guilty.
Ulrich, who sometimes seemed to cry during the hearing, also agreed that he “intends to influence and influence the conduct of the United States government and take revenge against the United States government.”
At one point, Mehta asked if Ulrich needed time to get together. Initially, Ulrich refused, saying “it will not be easier”, but later agreed – took some time to cry and gasp.
Georgia’s Ulrich was part of a chat with Oath Keepers Signal’s management, where he, Rhodes and others planned for Jan. 6. Reports cited in court documents show how Ulrich repeatedly asked about bringing weapons into the DC as part of a rapid reaction force.
“Someone can tell me if I’m crazy, but I plan to have a backpack for regular use and then a separate backpack with my ammunition.” with “budget AR.” In another statement days later, Ulrich asked Joshua James about firearms and a potential plan to “deploy them to Virginia.”
Other messages Ulrich sent to members of the Guardians of the Oath in Georgia said a “civil war” could be needed if President-elect Biden was then elected.
“We must win. We must defeat these radicals,” Ulrich wrote in a statement, “there is treason here. When someone committed treason, it meant something. You paid with your life!” In another statement, Ulrich mentioned “a scenario of the Ruby Ridge, behind which we can unite.”
Ulrich, James and Oath Keeper Mark Grods traveled together to the District of Columbia on January 4. In his own plea agreement, James admitted to taking a semi-automatic pistol during the trip and said Grods and others had brought firearms, including a rifle, shotgun, semi-automatic pistol and ammunition for a hotel in Virginia. Grods also pleaded guilty and cooperated in the investigation.
On January 6, Ulrich, James, Grods and others rushed to the Capitol in golf carts during the siege, bypassing law enforcement. When they arrived, the group maneuvered through the crowd with their hands on each other’s shoulders and eventually broke through the building.
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