A federal judge on Friday sentenced a former leader of the Oath Keepers militia group to three years of probation in exchange for the Army combat veteran’s extensive cooperation with prosecutors investigating the violent MAGA -inspired attack on the Capitol, according to media reports.
But the road to redemption for Joshua James came with a catch: he was required to hand over the Purple Heart he earned in 2007 – once considered to be “his proudest achievement” – after sustaining injuries in an explosive attack in Baghdad, Politico reported.
He surrendered the Army medal to the government in a small manila envelope after pleading guilty to seditious conspiracy – the first Jan. 6 defendant to do so – for his role in the insurrection plot. As part of his plea deal, James, a former regional leader in charge of the Alabama chapter, agreed to cooperate with the Justice Department’s ongoing investigation , prosecutors said .
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