A federal judge ruled on Thursday 18 years in prison for Stuart Rhodes, founder of far-right militant group oath Guardians, for sedition and other offenses related to the attack on the United States Capitol.

Rhodes appeared before a judge earlier that day, insisting that he was a “political prisoner”.

“For decades, Mr. Rhodes, it’s clear that you wanted democracy to turn into violence in this country,” District Judge Amit Mehta said.

“You are not a political prisoner, Mr. Rhodes,” he said, adding that he believed Rhodes was a “permanent threat” to the country.

Rhodes, a former Army paratrooper turned Yale-educated lawyer, was found guilty in November by a jury in Washington federal court.

Conviction of Rhodes represents the longest sentence for any of the more than 1,000 people charged in connection with the attack. dated January 6, 2021 against the Capitol by supporters of then-Republican President Donald Trump in a failed attempt to prevent Congress from confirming Democrat Joe Biden’s victory in the November 2020 election.

Until now, the longest sentence was 14 years in prison for a man from Pennsylvania. who attacked the police during the riots. Prosecutors demanded a 25-year prison sentence for Rhodes.

“Mr. Rhodes led a conspiracy to use force and violence to intimidate and force members of our government to stop a legitimate transition of power after the presidential election,” U.S. Attorney Katherine Rakoczy said. “As the court has just determined, this is terrorism.”

Prior to sentencing, Rhodes appeared before Mehta in an orange jumpsuit, claiming he was a “political prisoner” who, like Trump, was trying to stand up to people “who are destroying our country.”

“I think this country is incredibly divided. And this persecution (…) exacerbates the situation,” he stressed.

In addition to the mutinous conspiracy—a felony involving an attempt to “violently overthrow or destroy the government of the United States”—Rhodes was found guilty of obstructing official process and falsifying documents. Rhodes was cleared of two more charges.

Rhodes, who wears an eye patch after accidentally shooting himself in the face with his own gun, founded oath Guardians in 2009.

The armed forces include active and retired U.S. military personnel, law enforcement, and first responders. They appeared, often heavily armed, at protests and political events.

(Reuters. Posted by Sarah N. Lynch; edited in Spanish by Javier Leira)