联邦检察官似乎正在瞄准宣誓看守者准军事组织的创始人和领导人，指控他在动员其追随者加入和执行1月6日袭击当局继续试图建立一个针对民兵组织的庞大阴谋。
在昨晚的一份新文件中，检察官声称，“第一人”在国会大厦被攻占之前、之中和之后都与民兵成员有直接接触，并在1月6日之前敦促追随者来到华盛顿特区，并在起义期间指引成员前往国会大厦。
此前在调查中提交的法律文件专门将斯图尔特·罗兹的名字与检方随后认定为据称由“第一人”发送的信息联系在一起，并描述“第一人”为誓言守卫者的领导人和创始人。
罗兹于2009年3月成立了这个民兵组织，目前仍领导着该组织的成员。对他来说，周一的文件是迄今为止最明确的迹象，表明检察官可能会将他作为目标，因为他涉嫌参与了当天的事件。
在昨晚的一份新文件中，检察官指控罗兹在国会大厦被攻占之前、期间和之后与民兵成员有直接接触，并敦促追随者在1月6日之前来到华盛顿特区，并在起义期间引导成员走向国会大厦——这是迄今为止检察官瞄准罗兹的最明确迹象，因为据称罗兹与当天的事件直接相关。
检察官指控罗兹在一次名为“DC行动:1月6日至21日”的群聊中指示成员使用加密信息平台信号例如，根据政府文件，下午2点后不久，罗德斯据称写信给“到国会大厦南边的台阶上来”。几分钟后，罗兹据称给这群人发了一张国会大厦的照片，上面写着“美国国会大厦的南边”。爱国者敲门。”
苏珊·沃尔什/美联社档案
斯图尔特·罗德斯，公民民兵组织宣誓守护者中心的创始人
罗兹没有被指控任何罪行，并否认在国会大厦的袭击中协调或发挥作用。他没有回应美国广播公司新闻的置评请求。
周一，检察官还指控称，在袭击发生前，罗兹警告誓言守护者成员要“为暴力做好准备”，并发布了准备令。
“不要带任何可能让你被捕的东西。根据法庭文件，罗德斯声称“把它留在DC之外”，并指出“可折叠警棍是法律中的灰色地带”
这些指控是在政府继续对出现在国会大厦的极端组织进行大规模调查的时候提出的。截至周三，至少有13名与宣誓就职者有关联的人被指控犯有从阴谋阻挠国会到非法进入国会大厦的罪行。
就在这个星期，两个誓言守护者被看到长期陪伴唐纳德·特朗普顾问罗杰·斯通在1月5日和6日被被捕并被指控参与暴乱。
约瑟夫·普雷齐奥索/法新社通过盖蒂图像
当人们试图冲进美国国会大厦时，特朗普的支持者与警察和安全部队发生冲突
检察官在文件中说:“这些声明和信息都表明，共谋者联合起来阻止国会对选举团投票的认证，他们准备在必要时使用暴力来实现这一目的。”
在关于罗兹的新迹象出现之前，联邦检察官在2月份的法庭文件中首次点名他，特别强调了他1月4日发给誓言守卫者成员的“行动呼吁”。
检察官援引罗兹的话说:“至关重要的是，所有能够在DC的爱国者都要站在DC的立场上，支持特朗普总统通过大规模投票欺诈和对我们共和国的相关攻击，打败企图政变的国内外敌人。”“我们誓言守卫者既受到荣誉的约束，又渴望有力量履行我们的职责，”而且必须“准备好做任何必须做的事情来履行我们的誓言。”
根据提交的文件，检察官指控说，在国会大厦起义的当天，罗兹似乎向该组织发泄了对特朗普没有采取更多行动来团结他的支持者使用武力的不满。
“我看到特朗普所做的一切都是抱怨。罗德斯在下午1点38分写道:“我看不出他有做任何事情的意图，所以爱国者把它掌握在自己手中。他们已经受够了。”
Federal prosecutors appear to home in on Oath Keepers founder for alleged role in Capitol attack
Federal prosecutors appear to be zeroing in on the founder and leader of the Oath Keepers paramilitary group for his alleged role in mobilizing his followers to join and carry out theJan. 6 attackon the U.S. Capitol as authorities continue to attempt to build out a sprawling conspiracy case against the militia group.
In a new filing overnight, prosecutors alleged that "Person One" was in direct contact with militia members before, during, and after the storming of the Capitol, and was both urging followers to come to Washington, D.C., ahead of Jan. 6 and directing members toward the Capitol building during the insurrection.
Previous legal filings in the investigation have linked Stewart Rhodes' name specifically to communications which prosecutors have subsequently identified as messages allegedly sent by "Person One," and have also described "Person One" as the Oath Keepers' leader and founder.
For Rhodes, who founded the militia group in March 2009 and still leads its members, Monday's filings are the clearest indication yet that prosecutors may have him in their crosshairs over his alleged involvement in the events of that day.
In a new filing overnight, prosecutors alleged that Rhodes was in direct contact with militia members before, during, and after the storming of the Capitol, and was both urging followers to come to Washington, D.C., ahead of Jan. 6 and directing members toward the Capitol building during the insurrection -- the clearest indication yet that prosecutors have Rhodes in their crosshairs as allegedly being directly related to the events of that day.
Prosecutors allege that Rhodes instructed members using the encrypted messaging platform Signal in a group chat titled "DC OP: Jan 6 21." Shortly after 2 p.m., for example, Rhodes allegedly wrote to "Come to the South Side of the Capitol on steps," according to the government filing. Minutes later, Rhodes allegedly sent the group a photograph of the Capitol with a caption that read "South side of US Capitol. Patriots pounding on doors."
Rhodes has not been charged with any crime and has denied coordinating or playing a role in the attack on the Capitol. He did not respond to a request from ABC News for comment.
On Monday, prosecutors also alleged that prior to the attack, Rhodes warned Oath Keeper members to be "prepared for violence" and that he issued preparation orders.
"DO NOT bring in anything that can get you arrested. Leave that outside DC," Rhodes allegedly told the group according to the court documents, noting that "collapsible Batons are a grey area in the law."
The allegations come as the government continues to build a massive case against extremist groups who were present at the Capitol. As of Wednesday, at least 13 individuals associated with the Oath Keepers had been charged with offenses ranging from conspiracy to obstruct Congress to unlawful entry on Capitol grounds.
Just this week, two Oath Keepers seen accompanying longtimeDonald Trumpadviser Roger Stone on Jan. 5 and 6 werearrested and chargedwith participating in the riot.
"These statements and messages all show that the co-conspirators joined together to stop Congress's certification of the Electoral College vote, and they were prepared to use violence, if necessary, to effect this purpose," prosecutors said in the filing.
The new indications about Rhodes come after federal prosecutors first singled him out in court filings in February, specifically highlighting a "call for action" he sent to Oath Keepers members on Jan. 4.
"It is CRITICAL that all patriots who can be in DC get to DC to stand tall in support of President Trump's fight to defeat the enemies foreign and domestic who are attempting a coup, through the massive vote fraud and related attacks on our Republic," prosecutors quoted Rhodes as saying. "We Oath Keepers are both honor-bound and eager to be there in strength to do our part," and must "prepare to do whatever must be done to honor our oaths."
According to the filing, prosecutors allege that on the day of the Capitol insurrection Rhodes appeared to vent frustration to the group about Trump not doing more to rally his supporters to use force.
"All I see Trump doing is complaining. I see no intent by him to do anything," Rhodes allegedly wrote at 1:38 p.m. "So the patriots are taking it into their own hands. They've had enough."
