Jury convicts 4 of 5 executives on rare and serious charge
Enrique Tarrio, the former leader of far-right group Proud Boys, has been found guilty of seditious conspiracy. He was accused of conspiring to disrupt the peaceful transition of power between Donald Trump and Joe Biden in January 2021.
Sentence followed a seven-day jury deliberation on the top five band members, including Tarrio. Three other members of the Proud Boys – Joseph Biggs, Ethan Nordean and Zachary Rehl – were also convicted on charges of conspiracy, tampering with evidence and obstructing the Electoral College vote. The jury was unable to decide on the 5th alleged co-conspirator, Domic Pezzola.
Tarrio was not present at the Capitol riots, but prosecutors presented evidence that he organized and led the attack on members of the Proud Boys who stormed the Capitol, killing five.
Defense attorneys argued there was no Proud Boys plan to attack the Capitol or prevent congressional certification of Biden’s victory and also tried to pin the blame on former President Trump , saying Trump instigated the attack by telling the crowd to “fight like hell.”
The charge of seditious conspiracy is rare and carries a maximum prison sentence of 20 years.
Solicitors and legal experts pointed to the long and thorough collection of evidence, protracted jury deliberations, and even the jury’s inability to reach consensus and convict the 5 defendant Proud Boys (indicating the care and different standards to which each was held) as strong affirmations that the American democratic process and the rule of law are working as they should.
