For his role in the US Capitol riot, the commander of a far-right militia was sentenced to 18 years in jail.

Stewart Rhodes, the Oath Keepers’ founder, was convicted of seditious conspiracy and other offences.

On January 6, 2021, Rhodes remained outside the Capitol but coordinated with militia members who attacked the building.

The sentence is the most severe ever imposed on a Capitol rioter. Prosecutors had requested a sentence of 25 years.

In one of the most high-profile Capitol riot trials, Rhodes was also convicted last year of obstructing an official proceeding and tampering with papers or proceedings.

At a hearing on Thursday, the militia commander expressed no remorse, stating he was a political prisoner and that the Oath Keepers were merely there to protect fellow demonstrators.

Judge Amit Mehta dismissed those accusations while also expressing alarm over Rhodes’ violent statements, which included a threat to hang former US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

The sentence handed down to Rhodes is the longest handed down for the violence in which thousands of Donald Trump supporters protested the outcome of the 2020 presidential election stormed the US legislature.

Oath Keepers was created in 2009 by Rhodes, a former US Army paratrooper and Yale-educated lawyer.

Armed members of the anti-government group attended several protests and standoffs before becoming fervent supporters of Donald Trump. The riot drew a large crowd.