Federal prosecutors in the United States have charged some prominent members of the right-wing extremist organization Proud Boys for their role in the Capitol storming early last year weighted down.
Former chairman Enrique Tarrio is now facing charges with Ethan Nordean, Joseph Biggs, Zachary Rehl and Dominic Pezzola for seditious conspiracy, or ‘incendiary conspiracy’. If found guilty, they could be sentenced to 20 years in prison.
The five are suspected of having agreed to violently oppose the lawful transfer of presidential power. That’s a serious federal offense in the United States. They were previously charged with other forms of conspiracy in the storming.
On January 6, 2021, a mob of outraged Trump supporters stormed the Capitol, where Congress was then meeting to confirm the election results that had turned out in favor of Joe Biden. Four people were killed.
Burning Flag
Tarrio was already convicted for burning a Black Lives Matter flag and for transporting banned warehouses right before the storming† He served that sentence. He is seen as one of the key figures behind the violence on January 6, 2021.
The Proud Boys are not the first group to be charged with seditious conspiracy. This happened earlier with eleven members of the extreme right-wing group Oath Keepers.
The militia, with mainly (former) military and police officers as members, is said to have prepared the storm as a war. Leader Stewart Rhodes has denied guilty, three members have pleaded guilty.
A parliamentary committee Investigating the Capitol storming will begin public hearings next week and will present the findings of the investigation. The five Proud Boys are expected to appear in August.
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