Leadership of Proud Boys Activist Results in Sentencing

Prosecutors had initially requested a 27-year sentence for Ethan Nordean, who served as the president of the Seattle-area chapter. They argued that his language and online behavior became increasingly violent leading up to January 6th. On that day, Nordean led a group of nearly 200 men towards the Capitol, eventually reaching the front of the mob and helping to dismantle a fence, thus enabling the rioters to enter the premises, as stated in court documents. In his defense, Nordean’s attorneys claimed that there was no predetermined plan to storm the Capitol on that day and disputed the allegation that he personally tore down the fence or that his rhetoric specifically targeted January 6th.

Ethan Nordean, who is 33 years old and resides in Auburn, Washington, now acknowledges the events of January 6th as a “complete and utter tragedy.” He further expressed remorse, stating, “There is no rally or political protest that should ever prioritize human life. To anyone I have directly or indirectly harmed, I sincerely apologize.” Stewart Rhodes, the founder of another far-right extremist group called the Oath Keepers, previously held the record for the longest sentence related to the January 6th incident. To date, over 1,100 individuals have been charged with federal crimes related to the Capitol riot, with more than 600 of them being convicted and sentenced. (Codefendant Dominic Pezzola also received a sentence on Friday.)