Prosecutors charge Volusia County's Joe Biggs, 4 others with seditious conspiracy in Jan. 6 attack

Kevin Johnson, The Daytona Beach News-Journal
·2 min read
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Joe Biggs, bottom left, in gray and black checked jacket, marches at the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, in this photo shared in a Department of Justice affidavit supporting Biggs' arrest.
Joe Biggs, bottom left, in gray and black checked jacket, marches at the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, in this photo shared in a Department of Justice affidavit supporting Biggs' arrest.

Federal prosecutors escalated their case against the Proud Boys extremist group Monday, unveiling new federal charges of seditious conspiracy against Joe Biggs from Ormond Beach, and four others related to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack.

The new charges build on an earlier conspiracy case against Henry "Enrique" Tarrio, the group's former national chairman, 38; Biggs, 38; Ethan Nordean, 31; Zachary Rehl, 37; and Dominic Pezzola, 44, accused in an organized plot to prevent the certification of President Joe Biden's election.

All remain detained on the earlier charges.

Previous coverage on Joe Biggs, Proud Boys

The new indictment adds two charges: one count of seditious conspiracy, and one count of conspiracy to prevent an officer from discharging any duties.  All defendants now face a total of nine charges, while a robbery charge was lodged against Pezzola.

All five are scheduled to make their first court appearances on new charges Thursday in Washington.

"On Jan. 6, 2021, the defendants directed, mobilized, and led members of the crowd onto the Capitol grounds and into the Capitol, leading to dismantling of metal barricades, destruction of property, breaching of the Capitol building, and assaults on law enforcement," prosecutors alleged. "During and after the attack, Tarrio and his co-defendants claimed credit for what had happened on social media and in an encrypted chat room."

While Tarrio was not present at the Capitol on Jan. 6, prosecutors allege that the former leader helped direct the group's effort.

The rarely-used charge of sedition was first brought in connection with a Jan. 6 case against 11 members of the paramilitary Oath Keepers group, including leader Stewart Rhodes, with plotting to interfere with the transfer of power.

Since the Oath Keepers' case was filed in January, three of the group's members pleaded guilty and have agreed to cooperate with the government's continuing investigation.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Ormond Beach Proud Boy Joe Biggs facing new charges in Capitol attack