Ex-Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio sentenced to 22 years for Jan. 6 riot role

Former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio sentenced to 22 years in prison for his role in the Capitol attack.

Enrique Tarrio, the former leader of the Proud Boys, has been sentenced to 22 years in prison for his involvement in the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. Tarrio, along with five other Proud Boys leaders, was charged with conspiring to prevent the certification of the 2020 presidential election results in Congress. Among the defendants, Tarrio received the longest prison sentence thus far.

The sentencing hearing for Tarrio was initially delayed due to Judge Timothy Kelly falling ill.

Prosecutors requested a 33-year sentence, while Tarrio's attorneys pleaded for a maximum of 15 years.

In comparison to the government's requests, the co-defendants in the Proud Boys seditious conspiracy case have received significantly shorter prison sentences.

Of the individuals involved in the January 6 riot, Ethan Nordean, the head of the Seattle chapter of the Proud Boys, and Stewart Rhodes, the founder of the Oath Keepers who was convicted in a separate case, received the longest sentences to date with 18 years.

Nordean was sentenced last Friday.

In May, Tarrio, Nordean, Joseph Biggs, and Zachary Rehl were all convicted of seditious conspiracy and other crimes. Dominic Pezzola, the fifth defendant, was acquitted of that charge but found guilty of assaulting officers and robbery involving government property.

Similar to Tarrio, prosecutors sought a 33-year sentence for Biggs, but Judge Kelly sentenced him to 17 years.

Tarrio was also convicted of obstructing an official proceeding, conspiracy to prevent an officer from discharging their duties, obstruction of law enforcement during a civil disorder, and destruction of government property valued over $1,000.

Tarrio was not present at the actual Capitol riot as he had been arrested days prior for setting fire to a Black Lives Matter banner stolen from a church in Washington, D.C., and was ordered to leave the city.

Prosecutors allege that Tarrio directed his Proud Boys to attack the Capitol from a hotel outside of D.C., despite not being physically present.

Tarrio's attorneys argue that he had no contact with any members of the organization during the riot and point to Nordean and Biggs as the main instigators. They also state that participating in a protest on January 6 is not the same as instructing others to storm the Capitol.

Despite the sentencing, experts on extremism believe that the Proud Boys will likely continue their activities unaffected.

"They remain active in organizing and recruiting," said Cassie Miller, a senior research analyst at the Southern Poverty Law Center. "And this authoritarian movement that they are a part of has continued to grow."

Miller notes that unlike other paramilitary groups, the Proud Boys have experienced growth in both membership and the number of chapters since January 6. This is attributed to their shift towards local activism on issues such as LGBTQ and abortion rights, rather than focusing solely on national organizing.