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In a landmark ruling related to the US Capitol attack on January 6, 2021, Henry “Enrique” Tarrio, the former leader of the right-wing extremist group Proud Boys, has been sentenced to 22 years in federal prison. US district judge Timothy Kelly delivered the harshest penalty yet in a Washington federal court, just blocks away from the Capitol where a mob of Donald Trump’s supporters tried to prevent the certification of Joe Biden’s victory. Prosecutors had sought a 33-year prison sentence for Tarrio, claiming that he played a significant role in a plot to disrupt the peaceful transfer of power on that day.
Following the sentencing, US Attorney-General Merrick Garland released a statement affirming that the Proud Boys were instrumental in initiating the attack on the Capitol. Garland emphasized that Tarrio, as the leader of the Proud Boys, will serve as an example of the severe consequences that come with conspiring to use force against the lawful transfer of presidential power.
This ruling is part of a series of sentences handed down by judges in connection with the violence at the Capitol. Penalties have varied from probation to prison terms as long as 18 years.
Meanwhile, legal disputes related to the 2020 presidential election continue to unfold across the United States. Former President Trump is facing criminal charges at both the federal and state levels for attempting to overturn the election results. The charges were brought by the US Department of Justice and the state of Georgia, and Trump has pleaded not guilty.
Tarrio, who served as the national chair of the Proud Boys, was among the numerous defendants charged in connection with the riot at the Capitol. His charges included assaulting officers, obstructing an official proceeding, and participating in seditious conspiracy. In May, he was convicted of the rare charge of seditious conspiracy, which stems from a plot against the government dating back to the American Civil War.
Another prominent figure, Stewart Rhodes, the leader of the right-wing militia group Oath Keepers, previously received an 18-year prison sentence for his involvement in the seditious conspiracy related to the attack.
The Department of Justice’s indictment accused Tarrio and his accomplices of conspiring to use force to oppose the transition of power following the 2020 elections. The criminal complaint detailed Tarrio’s role as one of the primary planners of the January 6 attack. Social media posts published by Tarrio during the riots were presented as evidence, including statements such as “Don’t fucking leave” and “After I finish watching this I’ll make a statement about my arrest… But for now I’m enjoying the show… Do what must be done. #WeThePeople.”
In January 2021, Tarrio was arrested in Washington on charges of destruction of property and possession of large-capacity magazines. Although he was briefly detained, he was released prior to January 6 and reportedly observed the events of that day from outside Washington.
In the lead-up to the attack, Tarrio made public statements concerning the projected results of the 2020 presidential election. Court documents revealed one of his comments: “The media constantly accuses us of wanting to start a civil war. Careful what the fuck you ask for we don’t want to start one… but we will sure as fuck finish one.”
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