U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta on Friday ordered Oath Keepers leader Stewart Rhodes to remain in prison ahead of his trial for charges of seditious conspiracy for this role in the January 6th Capitol riots.
Law and Crime reports that Mehta said during Friday's hearing that he was not convinced that Rhodes was a flight risk, but he was convinced that the Oath Keepers leader posed a "clear and convincing danger" to the general public if released.
According to CBS News reporter Scott MacFarlane, Mehta expressed concern about Rhodes's "alleged gun/equipment purchases and messages" that he sent calling for violence ahead of the January 6th riots.
Additionally, writes MacFarlane, Mehta was concerned about a court's ability to monitor Rhodes given his proven savvy at using encrypted communications.
Tasha Adams, Rhodes's estranged wife, publicly warned against releasing him before his trial, and she even went so far as to detail how he created what she described as "elaborate escape tunnels" on their property.
Rhodes and some of his fellow Oath Keepers so far are the only people who took part in the Capitol riots who have faced seditious conspiracy charges.
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