Washington, United States

A federal jury in Washington found former Proud Boys chairman Enrique Tarrio and three other members of the far-right group guilty of seditious conspiracy on Thursday (May 4) for their involvement in the plot to attack the US Capitol on January 6, 2021. Proud Boys members were found guilty for their roles in a failed bid to block Congress from certifying President Joe Biden’s election victory against Donald Trump.

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The nearly four-month trial ended with defendant Enrique Tarrio, the now-former leader of Proud Boys, along with other members, Ethan Nordean, Joseph Biggs and Zachary Rehl facing a range of charges including three separate conspiracy charges, obstructing the Electoral College vote and tampering with evidence. 

The convictions also marked a victory for the US Justice Department, which has sought criminal charges against more than 1,000 people for their involvement in the Capitol attack who were supposedly supporters of then-president Trump, a Republican. 

Notably, the law Proud Boys members were convicted under, was a seditious conspiracy, as a plot to oppose the government with force is a Civil War-era law which can carry a sentence of up to 20 years in prison. 

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The jury also found Dominic Pezzola, who is said to be the only member without a leadership role in the group in this particular trial, guilty of multiple felonies including obstructing an official proceeding, conspiring to impede Congress from performing its duties and obstructing law enforcement during a civil disorder. 

He was also charged with robbery of US property after footage of the attack on January 6, shows Pezzola using a riot shield stolen from police to break a window at the Capitol. However, the jury could not reach a verdict on seditious conspiracy for Pezzola. 

Tarrio was not in Washington on January 6 but was accused of directing the group’s members to the Capitol from Baltimore. This comes after another far-right group, the Oath Keepers, were found guilty of seditious conspiracy last year, including its founder, Stewart Rhodes. 

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According to Tarrio’s indictment, he and Rhodes met a day before the attack in an underground parking garage in Washington and was also in contact with members of the Proud Boys who breached the Capitol.

Additionally, the text and signal messages highlighted in the indictment suggest that Tarrio was preparing for a “revolution.” Other documents showed that he planned on occupying “crucial buildings” in Washington, including House and Senate office buildings around the Capitol. 

Notably, Tarrio was arrested on January 4, reportedly for burning a Black Lives Matter banner at a church and also bringing high-capacity rifle magazines to Washington, following which a judge ordered him to leave the city. 

The attack on Capitol left at least five people dead and 140 police officers injured and took place after then-president Trump’s speech ahead of the certification of the 2020 elections, near the White House. 

So far, more than 500 people have pleaded guilty and 80 others have been convicted during trials for their involvement in the riot, on charges brought by the Justice Department. 

(With inputs from agencies) 

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