InsurrectionMember of Georgia Chapter of Oath Keepers Pleads Guilty to Seditious Conspiracy
The defendant participated in plot to use force to oppose execution of U.S. laws, including the attack on the Capitol during the certification proceeding. DOJ says that the defendant aimed to obstruct Congress in an effort to stop transfer of power following 2020 presidential election.
A member of the Oath Keepers pleaded guilty last week to seditious conspiracy and obstruction of an official proceeding for his actions before, during and after the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. The Department of Justice said that his and others’ actions disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the presidential election.
Brian Ulrich, 44, of Guyton, Georgia, pleaded guilty to seditious conspiracy in connection with the Capitol breach. As part of the plea agreement, Ulrich has agreed to cooperate with the government’s ongoing investigation.
Ulrich is the second Oath Keepers member to plead guilty to seditious conspiracy and obstruction charges. Joshua James, 34, of Arab, Alabama, pleaded guilty on March 2, 2022.
As described in court documents, Ulrich was a member of the Georgia chapter of the Oath Keepers. The Oath Keepers are a large but loosely organized collection of individuals, some of whom are associated with militias. Though the Oath Keepers will accept anyone as a member, they explicitly focus on recruiting current and former military, law enforcement and first-responder personnel.
In his guilty plea, Ulrich admitted that, from November 2020 through January 2021, he conspired with other Oath Keepers members and affiliates to use force to prevent, hinder and delay the execution of the laws of the United States governing the transfer of presidential power. He and others used encrypted and private communications, equipped themselves with a variety of weapons, donned combat and tactical gear, and were prepared to use force to stop the transfer of power.
In the weeks leading to Jan. 6, 2021, Ulrich and others used an application called “Signal” to prepare for the actions that would take place that day. Ulrich encouraged others in a group called “Oath Keepers of Georgia” to join him in Washington. In one chat, on Dec. 5, 2020, he messaged the group, “I seriously wonder what it would take just to get ever patriot marching around the capital armed? Just to show our government how powerless they are!” On Dec. 11, 2020, Ulrich messaged the group chat that “Civil War” may be necessary if Joseph R. Biden became President of the United States, adding, “I made my peace with God before I joined.” Another individual later messaged, “Remember, it is not over until January 20th.” Ulrich responded, “And if there’s a Civil War then there’s a Civil War.”
