Jessica Marie Watkins

Last updated
Jessica Watkins
Born1982 or 1983
NationalityAmerican
Occupation(s)US Army, bar owner
Organization Oath Keepers
Known forJanuary 6th Capitol attack

Jessica Marie Watkins (born 1982 or 1983) is an American militia founder and former Oath Keeper leader, Army veteran and bar owner who took part in the January 6 United States Capitol attack. She was convicted of multiple felonies relating to her participation and in May 2023 was sentenced to 8.5 years in federal prison.

Contents

Early life and career

Watkins was raised in Ohio and upstate New York. [1] She enlisted in the U.S. Army in 2001 following her high school graduation, completing a Ranger course and then serving in Afghanistan until 2003 when she left the military. [1] [2] She has stated that she attempted suicide by gun when a close friend died in combat, but that the bullet misfired. [1] She went absent without leave from the Army when her transgender identity was revealed, moving to Alaska due to non-acceptance of her identity by her family. [3]

She later worked as a first responder in Fayetteville, North Carolina. [2] By 2019, she was the co-owner of the Jolly Rogers Bar and Grill, a pirate-themed bar in Woodstock, Ohio with her fiancé. [1] [4] [5] [2] That year, she also set up the Ohio State Regular Militia [2] for aid work after tornadoes cut off electricity to tens of thousands of residents. Business declined at the bar in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Following the Murder of George Floyd, she led her militia as self-appointed security guards during the resulting protests in Ohio and Kentucky. On November 7, 2020, when Joe Biden was declared winner of the 2020 U.S. presidential election, she appeared on the front lawn of the Ohio Statehouse with two other militia members, between two rival protest groups. [1]

January 6 United States Capitol attack

In 2021, Watkins attended the January 6 Capitol attack with her militia, coordinating with the Oath Keepers of which she was also a leader, [1] [6] and wearing military armour and tactical military style clothing. [3] [7] At the U.S. Capitol building, members of the militia encouraged rioters to forcibly enter the building. [6] In 2021, while facing criminal trial, she disavowed the Oath Keepers. [5]

Watkins went on trial with codefendants Kelly Meggs and Stewart Rhodes. [6] In 2022, [3] Watkins was the only one of the three acquitted of seditious conspiracy but was found guilty of conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding [6] [8] and interfering with police. [3] While in jail, she became a close friend of fellow Capitol rioter Guy Reffitt through playing the card game Magic: The Gathering , and became convinced of the false belief that the riot itself was "a setup" conducted by U.S. law enforcement. [1]

In May 2023, Watkins was sentenced by Judge Amit Mehta to 8.5 years in prison, criticising her initial lack of remorse, but acknowledging a more recent apology. [6] A cited justification for her long sentence compared to other rioters was her role in recruiting at least three other rioters. [9]

Personal life

Watkins was born in 1982or1983 under a different name, taking the name Jessica Marie Watkins in 2003 or 2004. [1] [2] She grew up with her mother and her four-years-younger sister. [4] Her parents disavowed her when she revealed her gender identity to them. [4] Watkins is a trans woman and spoke at her trial about her struggle with her gender identity was a factor that led her towards paranoia, fear and conspiracy theories. [6]

She has lived in Rochester, New York and in Fayetteville, North Carolina before moving to Woodstock, Ohio. [2]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oath Keepers</span> American far-right organization since 2009

Oath Keepers is an American far-right anti-government militia whose leaders have been convicted of violently opposing the government of the United States, including the transfer of presidential power as prescribed by the United States constitution. It was incorporated in 2009 by founder Elmer Stewart Rhodes, a lawyer and former paratrooper. In 2023, Rhodes was sentenced to 18 years for seditious conspiracy for his role in the January 6 United States Capitol attack, and another Oath Keepers leader, Kelly Meggs, was sentenced to 12 years for the same crime. Three other members have pleaded guilty to this crime, and four other members have been convicted of it.

Seditious conspiracy is a crime in various jurisdictions of conspiring against the authority or legitimacy of the state. As a form of sedition, it has been described as a serious but lesser counterpart to treason, targeting activities that undermine the state without directly attacking it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Proud Boys</span> North American neo-fascist organization

The Proud Boys is an exclusively male North American far-right, neo-fascist militant organization that promotes and engages in political violence. The group's leaders have been convicted of violently opposing the United States government, including the constitutionally prescribed transfer of presidential power. It has been called a street gang and was designated as a terrorist group in Canada and New Zealand. The Proud Boys are known for their opposition to left-wing and progressive groups and for their support of former U.S. President Donald Trump. While Proud Boys leadership has denied being a white supremacist organization, the group and some of its members have been connected to white supremacist events, ideologies, and other white power groups throughout its existence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Three Percenters</span> American and Canadian far-right militia group

The Three Percenters are an American and Canadian far-right anti-government militia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Enrique Tarrio</span> American far-right activist (born 1984)

Henry "Enrique" Tarrio is an American far-right activist and seditionist. From 2018 to 2021, he was the chairman of the Proud Boys, a far-right neo-fascist organization that promotes and engages in political violence in the United States. Along with three other Proud Boys leaders, Tarrio was convicted in May 2023 of seditious conspiracy for his role in the 2021 United States Capitol attack. In September 2023, Tarrio was sentenced to 22 years in prison.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe Biggs</span> American felon and former Proud Boys organizer (born 1980s)

Joseph Randall Biggs is an American veteran, media personality, organizer of the Proud Boys, and convicted felon for his participation in the January 6 United States Capitol attack.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stewart Rhodes</span> Oath Keepers leader and January 6, 2021 seditionist (born 1966)

Elmer Stewart Rhodes III is an American former attorney and convicted seditionist. He founded the Oath Keepers, an American far-right anti-government militia. In November 2022, he was convicted of seditious conspiracy and evidence tampering related to his participation in the January 6 Insurrection culminating at the main campus of the United States Capitol complex. On May 23, 2023, he was sentenced to 18 years in prison.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gretchen Whitmer kidnapping plot</span> Kidnapping plot in 2020

On October 8, 2020, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced the arrests of 13 men suspected of orchestrating a domestic terror plot to kidnap American politician Gretchen Whitmer, the Governor of Michigan, and otherwise using violence to overthrow the state government. Some have labeled the attempt as an example of stochastic terrorism, where violent rhetoric by prominent figures inspired the plot.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">January 6 United States Capitol attack</span> 2021 attempt to prevent presidential electoral vote count

On January 6, 2021, the United States Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., was attacked by a mob of supporters of then-U.S. president Donald Trump, two months after his defeat in the 2020 presidential election. They sought to keep Trump in power by occupying the Capitol and preventing a joint session of Congress counting the Electoral College votes to formalize the victory of President-elect Joe Biden. The attack was ultimately unsuccessful in preventing the certification of the election results. According to the House select committee investigating the incident, the attack was the culmination of a seven-part plan by Trump to overturn the election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jacob Chansley</span> QAnon and January 6 Capitol attack figure

Jacob Anthony Angeli Chansley, also known as the QAnon Shaman, Q Shaman, and Yellowstone Wolf, is an American far-right conspiracy theorist, activist, and convicted felon who participated in the January 6 United States Capitol attack, for which he was convicted on charges of obstructing an official proceeding. He is a former supporter of former president Donald Trump and a believer and disseminator of the QAnon conspiracy theory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dominic Pezzola</span> American

Dominic Pezzola is an American convicted felon and member of the Proud Boys who participated in the January 6 United States Capitol attack, a violent attack at the U.S. Capitol. He is best known for stealing a police riot shield and using it to break a Capitol window on January 6, 2021, making him the first rioter to breach the building. Indicted in 2021, on federal charges, he was tried in 2023 alongside Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio and his key lieutenants, Ethan Nordean, Joseph Biggs, and Zachary Rehl. In May 2023, following a five-month jury trial, Pezzola was convicted of obstructing a congressional proceeding, assaulting a police officer, and other crimes. He was acquitted of seditious conspiracy, the most serious charge. The jury deadlocked on other charges against Pezzola, including conspiring to obstruct the counting of the electoral votes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Criminal proceedings in the January 6 United States Capitol attack</span> List of people charged with crimes

On January 6, 2021, supporters of then President Donald Trump attacked the U.S. Capitol Building, disrupting the joint session of Congress assembled to count electoral votes to formalize Joe Biden's victory in the 2020 United States Presidential Election. By the end of the month, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) had opened more than 400 case files and issued more than 500 subpoenas and search warrants related to the riot. The FBI also created a website to solicit tips from the public specifically related to the riot and were especially assisted by the crowdsourced sleuthing group Sedition Hunters. By the end of 2021, 725 people had been charged with federal crimes. That number rose to 1,000 by the second anniversary of the attack, and to 1,200 by the third anniversary, at which point over 890 people had been found guilty of federal crimes. These federal cases are handled by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia (D.C.). State cases, of which there are fewer, are handled in the D.C. Superior Court.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timeline of violent incidents at the United States Capitol</span>

The United States Capitol in Washington, D.C., became the meeting place of the United States Congress when the building was initially completed in 1800. Since that time, there have been many violent and dangerous incidents, including shootings, fistfights, bombings, poisonings and a major riot.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Fanone</span> American retired police officer

Michael Fanone is an American law enforcement analyst, author, and retired police officer. He worked for the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia from 2001 until his retirement in 2021. Fanone was one of many victims of the January 6 United States Capitol attack, and testified with his colleagues in front of the House Select Committee investigating the attack in 2021. He is currently a CNN on-air contributor.

Corruptly obstructing, influencing, or impeding an official proceeding is a felony under U.S. federal law. It was enacted as part of the Sarbanes–Oxley Act of 2002 in reaction to the Enron scandal, and closed a legal loophole on who could be charged with evidence tampering by defining the new crime very broadly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kelly Meggs</span> American insurrectionist (born 1969)

Kelly Meggs is an American convicted felon who previously led the Oath Keepers' Florida chapter. He was found guilty of seditious conspiracy following his forced entry into the United States Capitol during the January 6 United States Capitol attack. Meggs was sentenced to 12 years in prison.

Roberto Antonio Minuta is a tattoo artist and a member of the Oath Keepers, who in 2023 was found guilty of seditious conspiracy after forcing his way into the United States Capitol building during the January 6 United States Capitol attack in 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Planning of the January 6 United States Capitol attack</span>

After Donald Trump lost the 2020 United States presidential election, multiple individuals plotted to use force to stop the peaceful transition of power; this was one aspect of what eventually led to the January 6 attack on the United States Capitol. Fourteen members of the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys militias were convicted of seditious conspiracy for planning and leading the attack, while an unidentified pipe-bomber remains at-large.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harry Dunn (police officer)</span> American police officer (born 1983)

Harry Anthony Dunn is an American author, political candidate, and former police officer. He served in the United States Capitol Police from 2008 to 2023. Dunn was one of many police officers present during the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, and testified with his colleagues in front of the House Select Committee investigating the attack. His efforts during the attack earned him both the Congressional Gold Medal and Presidential Citizens Medal.

Guy Wesley Reffitt is an American convicted criminal who took part in the United States Capitol attack on January 6, 2021. He was a member of the Three Percenters and was the first defendant to be convicted for the attack.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Bernstein, Andrea; Marritz, Ilya (2022-06-06). "Two January 6th Defendants and the Consolidation of Right-Wing Extremism". The New Yorker . ISSN   0028-792X . Retrieved 2023-12-08.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Amiri, Farnoush; Sewell, Dan (2021-02-27). "'Just shocked': A town reckons with charges in Capitol riot". WDRB. Archived from the original on 27 Feb 2021. Retrieved 2023-05-27.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Oath Keepers defendant Jessica Watkins sentenced to 8 and a half years in prison for role in Jan. 6 attack". CBS News. 2023-05-26. Retrieved 2023-05-27.
  4. 1 2 3 Lybrand, Holmes; Rabinowitz, Hannah (17 Nov 2022). "Jessica Watkins, Trans Jan. 6 Insurrectionist, Apologizes in Court". The Advocate. Retrieved 2023-05-27.
  5. 1 2 Cohen, Marshall (2021-02-26). "Alleged Oath Keeper ringleader in Capitol siege ordered to stay in jail before trial | CNN Politics". CNN. Retrieved 2023-05-27.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Rabinowitz, Hannah (2023-05-26). "Jessica Watkins: Oath Keepers member and Army veteran sentenced to 8.5 years in prison for January 6 | CNN Politics". CNN. Retrieved 2023-05-27.
  7. ↑ Thomsen, Jacqueline (26 May 2023). "Oath Keeper gets 8 1/2 years in prison over US Capitol attack". Reuters. Archived from the original on 2023-05-26.
  8. ↑ Reilly, Ryan J.; Barnes, Daniel (26 May 2023). "Self-proclaimed 'idiot' Oath Keeper sentenced to more than 8 years in Jan. 6 case". NBC News. Archived from the original on 2023-05-26.
  9. ↑ "Oath Keeper who stormed Capitol gets more than 8 years in prison". PBS NewsHour. 2023-05-26. Retrieved 2023-05-26.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.