Second Oath Keeper in massive conspiracy case over Capitol riot pleads guilty

WASHINGTON (CN) — An Oath Keeper pleaded guilty Wednesday to his role in the Capitol riot, joining one other defendant in the biggest Jan. 6 conspiracy case to plead guilty and four who have agreed to cooperate with the government. 

The government laid out its case against Jason Dolan, 44, in a fifth superseding indictment last month, saying he dressed in camouflage paramilitary gear while breaching the Capitol in in a “military stack” formation.

“At the top of the steps," the charges state, "the Stack joined and then pushed forward alongside a mob that aggressively advanced towards the east side Rotunda doors at the central east entrance to the Capitol, assaulted the officers guarding the doors, threw objects and sprayed chemicals towards the officers and the doors, and pulled violently on the doors."

Federal prosecutors have charged 22 alleged members of the Oath Keepers group overall. Four have pleaded guilty and agreed to cooperate with the government. Dolan, a former marine from Florida, is one of 18 alleged conspirators in the Justice Department’s main case against the far-right militia group.

U.S. District Judge Amit P. Mehta let Dolan out of jail in June, noting it was a “close call,” because authorities never found firearms on Dolan following his arrest, and Dolan denied having them. Fighting that release, the government would later point to FBI interviews with Dolan’s neighbors who said that he owns multiple firearms. The neighbors told agents that Dolan is intense and not well liked in the community, and Dolan mentioned his firearms in various comments on YouTube channels about firearms as well.

The Justice Department also said that Dolan is one of the men who stored weapons at a hotel in Arlington, Virginia, on Jan. 6, dropping off an M4 rifle ahead of the riot. 

Dolan pleaded guilty to two felonies: conspiracy and obstruction of an official proceeding, and will face roughly five to six years in jail. 

Mehta started Wednesday’s hearing by making sure that Dolan’s attorneys accepted that Dolan engaged in obstruction, because earlier this month, over a dozen Oath Keepers asked Mehta to dismiss the most serious charges against them, arguing that the certification of electoral college votes does not qualify as an “official proceeding” — so they cannot be charged with obstructing it. 

Three other Capitol rioters also accepted plea deals on Wednesday. Nicholas Perretta and Mitchell Vukich, who picked up congressional paperwork on the floor of the Capitol and later discarded them, pleaded guilty to parading, picketing or demonstrating in the Capitol and will face up to six months in prison. 

Brandon Nelson, who drove to Washington from Wisconsin with his friend Abram Markofski and then drove back later that night after the riot, pleaded guilty to the same parading charge. He also faces up to six months behind bars. 

Subscribe to Closing Arguments

Sign up for new weekly newsletter Closing Arguments to get the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and hot cases and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world.

Email *

Submit