Four Proud Boys Found Guilty Of Seditious Conspiracy Over January 6

Topline

Four Proud Boys were found guilty Thursday of seditious conspiracy for their role in the January 6 attack on the Capitol, following four months of court proceedings.

Proud Boys chairman Enrique Tarrio was found guilty of seditious conspiracy.

Associated Press

Key Facts

Proud Boys chairman Enrique Tarrio and members Joseph Biggs, Ethan Nordean and Zachary Rehl were each found guilty Thursday of seditious conspiracy, though the jury failed to reach a verdict on the charge against Dominic Pezzola.

All four could face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

Prosecutors argued Tarrio organized and directed an attack on the Capitol by members of the organization, citing messages between the defendants that indicated the group would keep former President Donald Trump in power “by any means necessary including force.”

Attorneys representing Tarrio argued the group had no plan to attack the Capitol, and that Trump—who urged protestors to “fight like hell”—had provoked the riot, according to the Associated Press.

A sixth Proud Boys member, Charles Donohoe, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding and assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers in April 2022.

Crucial Quote

Prosecutor Conor Mulroe said in his closing argument that the organization was “lined up behind Donald Trump and willing to commit violence on his behalf,” according to the Washington Post.

Surprising Fact

Charges of sedition or treason are historically rare in the U.S., according to the Associated Press. Prior to trials involving members of the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers—another far-right organization charged in connection to the Capitol riots—fewer than 12 Americans had ever been convicted.

Key Background

The group was formed in 2016 by Vice co-founder Gavin McInnis, who cast the all-male group was a club for “Western Chauvinists.” Some members of the far-right group were known for their involvement in street brawls and tense face-offs with left-leaning protesters. The Justice Department charged Tarrio and four other Proud Boys in June 2022, more than a year after rioters at the Capitol tried to disrupt the certification of President Joe Biden’s election win on January 6, 2021. Prosecutors argued Tarrio and the four other members had claimed credit for the Capitol attack, citing messages on social media and an encrypted chat room. Nayib Hassan, an attorney representing Tarrio, argued Tarrio was used as “a scapegoat for Donald J. Trump and those in power.” The group was previously referenced by Trump during a debate in September 2020, when he told to the Proud Boys to “stand back and stand by,” adding “somebody’s got to do something about antifa and the left.”

Tangent

The trial faced several hurdles over its 15 weeks, including the introduction of new evidence and concerns one juror was being followed. The juror told the court someone had approached her to ask if she was a juror, though other jurors speculated the validity of her claims. Other jurors said they were “accosted” during the trial, according to CNN.