Sep 06, 2023 at 00:08 Update: 2 hours ago
The former leader of the far-right organization Proud Boys, Enrique Tarrio, was sentenced to 22 years in prison on Tuesday for his role in the storming of the Capitol. It is the highest sentence to date for a suspect in the attack on January 6, 2021.
The American Tarrio was the chairman of the extremist group until September 2021. He was found guilty in May by a jury of incitement, conspiracy and obstructing parliamentary proceedings, among other things.
The US justice had demanded 33 years in prison against him. Others were previously sentenced to 18 years in prison. The defense said the Proud Boys had been used as a scapegoat and asked for a lesser sentence. Tarrio said at the trial that he regretted his role in the attack.
During the storming, Tarrio himself was not in the US capital of Washington, where the Capitol is located. Prosecutors say he was directly involved in directing the attack from the city of Baltimore.
A judge had ordered him to stay out of Washington at the time. Two days before the storming, he had been arrested for setting fire to a Black Lives Matters banner at a church and illegally possessing ammunition. He was later sentenced to five months in prison for this.
Proud Boys saw themselves as Trump’s army
The Capitol was stormed on January 6, 2021 by supporters of former US President Donald Trump. He had called for resistance because he refused to acknowledge his electoral defeat. At the time of the storm, Congress was just making the election results official.
The Proud Boys saw themselves as Trump’s army that day, according to the prosecution. They bought paramilitary clothing and equipment before traveling to Washington.
Five people were killed during the storm. At least 140 officers were injured. In the aftermath of the incident, four officers took their own lives.
At least 630 people have pleaded guilty
More than eleven hundred people have been arrested for the storming. At least 630 detainees have pleaded guilty in court and at least 110 have now been convicted.
The investigation into the assault is still ongoing. Last week, two men were arrested after being identified from photos and videos.
2023-09-06 04:45:56
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