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Graydon Young, a 54-year-old from Florida who went to “GenXPatriot,” is accused in a 16-person conspiracy case alleging that members of the Oath Keepers conspired to carry out the January 6 rebellion.
It’s the first guilty plea among any accused in major Capitol conspiracy cases, and it’s a significant development as investigators continue to pursue clues about extremist groups they believe planned an armed attack to aid then-President Donald Trump and prevent Congress from ratification. 2020 elections
Young agreed to cooperate with federal investigators and cut a plea bargain to two criminal charges – conspiracy and obstruction of official action. He could likely face a sentence of more than five years in prison, according to estimates read at Wednesday’s hearing. He also agreed to pay $2,000 in compensation for damages to the Capitol.
Factors in his plea deal are that the plot involved extensive planning in scope and preparation, a major coup for prosecutors to secure as they continue to investigate the Capitol-centered Oath Keepers and coordinate their moves to attack Congress.
Prosecutors have dropped the aid and abetting charges Young faces, as well as the charge he faced for deleting his Facebook account on January 8.
Young is among two brothers accused in the Oath Keepers case who investigators say traveled to a Virginia hotel to attend pro-Trump rallies in Washington in early January.
Prosecutors allege he applied to join the Oath Keepers Group, a far-right coalition of largely ex-military and law enforcement that organized paramilitary training and attended political events, prior to Jan. 6, and was posting on Facebook about recruiting for the group in December.
Prosecutors say Young was part of a military-style “stack” formation of department guards that broke through the crowd to move inside the Capitol.
The co-defendants with Young in the case are challenging the charges against them.
This story has been updated with details of Young’s plea agreement.
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