The life of Stewart Rhodes: Oath Keepers’ leader sentenced to 18 years in prison

Stewart Rhodes, the founder of the far-right militia the Oath Keepers, was convicted to 18 years in prison on charges of seditious conspiracy and other crimes in relation to his role in the Capitol riot in January 6, 2021.

At the hearing, Rhodes claimed he was a "political prisoner" and insisted that the Oath Keepers were standing in opposition to people "who are destroying our country", several media reported.

But how did he ended up where he is today? Rhodes was actually a Yale law student before becoming the leader of the far-right conspiracy militia group. This gallery will take you through his life…

Steward Rhodes has had a unique life trajectory which, in addition to an Ivy League education, includes a stint as an army paratrooper and a clerkship on the Arizona Supreme Court.

Photo: By Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, Wikimedia Commons

According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, Rhodes grew up in the Southwest and joined the Army after graduating high school. He became a paratrooper and served his country for three years. In 1986 he received an honorable discharge following a night parachuting accident in which he broke his back.

Photo: An interview with Rhodes on YouTube from 2011

Rhodes then went on to attend the University of Nevada, graduating in 1998. During this time, he held various jobs, from valet driver to teaching self-defense at a women's center to working as a certified concealed-carry firearms instructor.

Photo: screenshot, YouTube, NBC

While working as a valet driver, Stewart met his now ex-wife Tasha Adams. Adams spoke with AP News about her ex-husband, giving details that allow some insight into the kind of man Stewart Rhodes is. Adams said that Rhodes was convinced he was destined for greatness; he just didn't know what he'd do or how.

Photo: screenshot CNN

Shortly after they married, Stewart convinced his wife Tasha to give him her college money so he could go to university first. In the meantime, he convinced Tasha she should work as a stripper to support them both, a job she was highly uncomfortable with given her conservative Mormon background. Nonetheless, Tasha told various media outlets that Rhodes made her continue the work until she fell pregnant with their first child.

Photo: screenshot CNN

After graduating from college, Stewart landed his first political job as an intern supervisor in Washington, D.C., for Texas Rep. Ron Paul. The position led Rhodes to attend Yale Law School, from which he graduated in 2004.

Photo: screenshot 60 Minutes

Stewart Rhodes, who wears and eye patch because he shot himself accidentally, according to his ex-wife, then made a significant advancement in his career and landed a clerking position for Arizona Supreme Court Justice Michael D. Ryan.

Photo: screenshot ABC News

However, according to AP News, colleagues say he struggled to fit in and "came across as angry and aggrieved." Rhodes' workmates told the newspaper that he loved the Patriot Act and hated Cheney, even going so far as to call Cheney a "fascist."

Photo: screenshot YouTube, LibertasIntel

The Southern Poverty Law Center reported that after his stint in Arizona, Rhodes helped Rep. Ron Paul (pictured) with his 2008 presidential campaign; however, it was a flop.

Nonetheless, the wheels were turning in Rhodes' head, and the idea of the Oath Keepers was beginning to take shape.

Photo: screenshot New3, NBC

Rhodes' ex-wife Tasha Adams told APNews that Stewart uploaded a blog post and a short video with his ideas about forming an armed paramilitary group to prepare for the inevitable (in his mind): defending Americans from a tyrannical federal government.

Rhodes' post went viral and led to a series of interviews with both mainstream media and conspiracy theorists. By April 19, 2009, the Oath Keepers was made official.

Photo: screenshot CBS

Stewart Rhodes found like-minded recruits, many of them were ex-law enforcement and veterans like himself. It didn't take long for The Oath Keepers to become an anti-government group with thousands of members.

Photo: By Myotus - Own work, Wikimedia Commons

The Oath Keepers claimed their goal was to recruit members or ex-members of the military, the police force, and paramedics to honor the oath they took to protect Americans by defending the Constitution against enemies.

The Oath Keepers' actions often got them into trouble, and Stewart Rhodes had more than one kerfuffle with the law. In fact, Rhodes' ex-wife told The Daily Beast that Stewart was thrilled when Trump won the election because then Trump could offer him legal protection from the legal issues he faced from his "work."

Ex-members of The Oath Keepers have spoken to the media about Rhodes' eagerness to serve Trump even before he became president. According to AP News, when Trump was going to Cleveland for a rally, Stewart Rhodes wanted The Oath Keepers to go to offer Trump their protection....however, as one ex-member said, they never got anywhere near Trump.

According to prosecutors in the case against Rhodes and his top lieutenants, when Joe Biden won the 2020 election, Stewart Rhodes began to prepare for a battle. The Oath Keepers, under Rhodes' direction, made plans for weeks ahead of time on how they would impede the transfer of power.

According to The Independent, prosecutors say that The Oath Keepers collected weapons and created an armed "quick reaction force" on standby outside Washington.

AP News reported that according to authorities, on January 6, 2021, two groups of The Oath Keepers rushed the Capitol along with hundreds of other MAGA Trump supporters. While Rhodes himself was not amongst those rushing the Capitol, several witnesses saw Stewart Rhodes outside the Capitol following the riot.

In total, 33 Oath Keepers members and affiliates were charged as part of the Capitol Breach investigation. To date, eight have pleaded guilty, and all 19 who have proceeded to trial have been found guilty, according to the Department of Justice.

Several members of the Oath Keepers have expressed regret and shame in their affiliation with the group, such as Jason Van Tatenhove (pictured right), who even testified in the Jan 6 hearings.

However, despite some members' embarrassment about the actions of some of The Oath Keepers, the ideas that Stewart Rhodes promoted within the group won't be dying down any time soon.