Proud Boys sentencing – live: Former leader Enrique Tarrio faces record Jan 6 prison term
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Former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio will be sentenced later today and faces the prospect of a record prison term among the legal cases brought after the insurrection at the US Capitol.
Tarrio has been found guilty of seditious conspiracy in one of the most serious cases stemming from the 6 January 2021 riots, when supporters of Donald Trump attempted to prevent Congress from certifying Joe Biden’s election victory.
Tarrio is now among four members of the self-described “Western chauvinist” gang facing decades in prison after they were found guilty in May of seditious conspiracy and other charges.
The Justice Department is seeking 33 years in prison for Tarrio. So far the longest sentence related to Jan 6 has been given to Stewart Rhodes, the founder of the Oath Keepers, who was convicted in another case of seditious conspiracy and received a sentence of 18 years.
In a sentencing memo, prosecutors said the men “organised and directed a force of nearly 200 to attack the heart of our democracy” and “intentionally positioned themselves at the vanguard of political violence in this country.”
Key Points
Who is Enrique Tarrio? Ex-Proud Boys leader faces longest prison sentence yet for January 6
Who is Enrique Tarrio? Ex-Proud Boys leader faces longest prison sentence yet for January 6
04:35 , Maroosha Muzaffar
Two days before a mob of Donald Trump’s supporters stormed the US Capitol, the now-former leader of a neo-fascist gang was arrested in Washington DC shortly after stepping off a plane from Miami.
Enrique Tarrio was wanted by police after he admitted to tearing down and burning a Black Lives Matter flag outside a historically Black church in the nation’s capital during December riots connected to a protest supporting then-President Donald Trump’s false claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him.
On 6 January, 2021, Tarrio watched the insurrection unfold from a hotel in Baltimore.
Before his arrest two days earlier, Tarrio wrote to his lieutenant: “Whatever happens … make it a spectacle.”
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Who is Enrique Tarrio? Ex-Proud Boys leader faces longest January 6 prison sentence
04:09 , Maroosha Muzaffar
Good morning and welcome to The Independent’s live blog on Proud Boys’ sentencing.
