Ex-Proud Boys Leader Enrique Tarrio Faces Sentencing For Seditious Conspiracy

Topline

Former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio will be sentenced Wednesday, over three months after he and three other members of the far-right organization were convicted of seditious conspiracy and other charges related to their involvement in the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.

Key Facts

Tarrio and three other members of the Proud Boys—Joseph Biggs, Ethan Nordean and Zachary Rehl—were each found guilty of seditious conspiracy in May.

The Justice Department requested a 33-year sentence for Tarrio earlier this month, according to the Associated Press, after prosecutors argued Tarrio and the three others had “unleashed a force on the Capitol” in an effort to “exert their political will on elected officials by force and to undo the results of a democratic election.”

Attorneys representing Tarrio—who was not in Washington D.C. during the riot—requested a more lenient sentence by indicating he had cooperated with law enforcement while working undercover in 2012 and that his mental health has suffered while in prison.

Surprising Fact

A 33-year sentence would be the longest handed out to anyone charged in the January 6 attack on the Capitol. The longest sentence was handed out earlier this year to Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes—similarly convicted on charges of seditious conspiracy in November—who was sentenced to 18 years in prison in May. His conviction on seditious conspiracy charges was the first since 1995.

Tangent

Tarrio and the three other Proud Boys members were convicted following a monthslong trial, which included several hurdles over its 15 weeks. One juror told the court that someone had approached her to ask if she was a juror. Other jurors speculated whether she was telling the truth, though some indicated they had been “accosted” during the trial, according to CNN.

Key Background

Formed in 2016 by Vice cofounder Gavin McInnis, the Proud Boys have been tied to street brawls and face-offs with left-leaning protesters in addition to their members being convicted for their involvement in the January 6 attack on the Capitol. Tarrio and four other Proud Boys were charged by the Justice Department for their involvement in June 2022. Prosecutors argued Tarrio and the four members had claimed credit for the Capitol attack, including a video shared by Biggs to other members in which he said: “We’ve just taken the Capitol.” Tarrio was not present during the riot, after he was arrested two days earlier. Attorneys representing the group argued Tarrio was used as a “scapegoat for Donald J. Trump and those in power” who hoped to disrupt the certification of President Joe Biden’s election win. Trump referenced the group during a debate in September 2020, when said the Proud Boys should “stand back and stand by.”

Further Reading

Four Proud Boys Found Guilty Of Seditious Conspiracy Over January 6 (Forbes)

Justice Department Seeks 33 Years In Prison For Ex-Proud Boys Leader Enrique Tarrio In Jan. 6 Case (Associated Press)

Juror In Proud Boys Trial Reportedly Raised Concern She’s Being Followed (Forbes)

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