Joseph Biggs, a former organizer of the far-right Proud Boys extremist group, has been sentenced to 17 years in prison for orchestrating the attack on the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to disrupt the peaceful transfer of power from Donald Trump to Joe Biden after the 2020 presidential election. This sentence is the second longest among the Capitol riot cases, with Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes receiving an 18-year prison sentence.
Federal prosecutors had initially recommended a 33-year prison sentence for Biggs, who played a leading role in leading a group of Proud Boys members and associates to the Capitol on January 6, 2021. The group joined the mob that breached police lines and caused lawmakers to flee, interrupting the joint session of Congress that was certifying Biden’s electoral victory. U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly emphasized the significance of this attack on American democracy, stating that it broke the long-standing tradition of peacefully transferring power.
While Biggs admitted his wrongdoing and accepted responsibility for his actions, he blamed being influenced by the crowd of Trump supporters outside the Capitol. He emphasized that he is not a violent person or a terrorist. Prosecutors, however, defended their request for a 33-year sentence, arguing that the actions of Biggs and the Proud Boys pushed the U.S. government to the brink of a constitutional crisis.
The sentencing for four other Proud Boys who were convicted alongside Biggs will be determined separately. Enrique Tarrio, the former national chairman of the Proud Boys, is scheduled to be sentenced next week. Tarrio was not present at the Capitol on January 6 as he had been arrested prior to the riot on different charges. The judge ordered him to leave the city, and he designated Biggs and Ethan Nordean as leaders in his absence.
Biggs, a self-described proud Boys organizer, had served in the U.S. Army before being discharged in 2013. He later worked as a correspondent for Infowars, a website operated by conspiracy theorist Alex Jones. Biggs, Tarrio, Nordean, and Zachary Rehl were convicted of seditious conspiracy charges. Defense attorneys argued that their clients were being unfairly blamed for the actions of others in the crowd of Trump supporters.
In total, over 1,100 individuals have been charged with federal crimes related to the Capitol riot, with more than 600 convicted and sentenced. Apart from the Proud Boys, six members of the Oath Keepers were also convicted of seditious conspiracy after a separate trial.
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