Oath Keeper member and 'Jesus Christ Superstar' actor acquitted of January 6 charges

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.