Jan. 6 rioter tied to Oath Keepers leader gets off with probation

An Indianapolis man who provided security for the Oath Keepers militia during the Jan. 6, 2021, riot on the Capitol was sentenced on Friday to two years of probation.

Michael Greene was found guilty of a misdemeanor trespassing charge related to the insurrection in March. 

Prosecutors alleged that Greene was a “top-trusted lieutenant” in the Oath Keepers and sought a year of prison time, but Judge Amit Mehta sided with the defense which argued that he was not affiliated with the group.

Greene was hired to provide security for the Oath Keepers at the rally which preceded the insurrection, including protecting Trump political advisor Roger Stone and rally organizer Ali Alexander, the defense said.

He was also charged with conspiracy to obstruct Congress. Tried alongside five members of the Oath Keepers, he was the only one to be found not guilty of those charges.

In planning before Jan. 6, Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes named Greene the “operations leader,” in charge of transporting members to Washington, D.C. The suspect also participated in “members only” video calls where Rhodes described how the group intended to “stop the lawful transfer of presidential power,” prosecutors said.

During the insurrection, Greene was a member of a private Signal chat created by Rhodes for Oath Keepers leaders to communicate. In that chat, Rhodes designated Greene as one of the seconds in command because of his familiarity with D.C.

Greene’s defense said that his limited participation in the chat groups proved that he was just a security contractor for the group and not a member.

While he did not enter the Capitol Building during the insurrection, he did described those that did rush the Capitol as “patriots,” prosecutors argued.

Greene was a witness for the defense in Rhodes’ trial, who was sentenced to 18 years in prison for his role in planning and exacerbating violence. His sentence is the longest handed down in any Jan. 6 case, but was below the prosecutor’s recommendation of 25 years.

The Justice Department has appealed the sentences of Rhodes and other Oath Keepers leaders — all of which were handed down by Mehta — saying they were too lenient.