Oath Keeper member and ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ actor acquitted of January 6 charges
A member of the right-wing group Oath Keepers stands guard during a rally in front of the U.S. Supreme Court Building on January 5
By Holmes Lybrand and Hannah Rabinowitz, CNN
(CNN) — James Beeks, a member of the Oath Keepers and an actor who played Judas in the musical “Jesus Christ Superstar,” was acquitted Tuesday by a judge of all federal charges he faced related to the January 6, 2021, attack at the US Capitol.
Beeks faced charges for allegedly joining into a conspiracy with several other members of the Oath Keepers to stop the certification of the Electoral College vote on January 6.
He was acquitted after a bench trial before Judge Amit Mehta.
According to court documents, Beeks, wearing a Michael Jackson BAD world tour jacket, approached a group of Oath Keepers as they walked to the Capitol and said he was a member of the organization as he had paid for a one-year membership to the group just two weeks before the Capitol attack.
Once inside the building, Beeks allegedly attempted to get through a line of police officers guarding a hallway to the Senate chamber with a group of Oath Keepers.
Before his arrest, federal investigators watched Beeks – who goes by the stage name James T. Justis – at two performances of Jesus Christ Superstar to confirm his identity. They also matched photographs of Beeks’ ear at the Capitol to a singing video he posted on YouTube.
The-CNN-Wire
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