The Department of Justice sentenced four Proud Boys members for their roles in the January 6, 2021, attempted coup. While they received shorter sentences than the prosecutors requested, each will serve over a decade.
Ethan Nordean, Dominic Pezzola, Joseph Biggs, and Zachary Rehl are among more than three dozen people charged in the attempted coup, which the DOJ identified as leaders, members, or associates of the Proud Boys.
Furthermore, the former national chairman of the Proud Boys, Henry “Enrique” Tarrio, is set to appear for sentencing on Tuesday, September 5, 2023. According to The Seattle Times, prosecutors argue the Proud Boys considered themselves former President Donald Trump’s foot soldiers.
During a discussion with Democracy Now, HuffPost Senior Editor Andy Campbell calls this neo-fascist organization a street gang, an accurate term since the Proud Boys are well known for their violent street brawls.
On January 6, 2021, this gang was prepared to go to war to ensure their commander-in-chief remained in power.
Moreover, they were proud to breach the United States Capitol to stop the certification of then President-Elect Joe Biden’s victory, something these angry men believed had been stolen from Trump.
According to a Justice Department May 4, 2023 press release, Proud Boys Tarrio (39), Nordean (32), Biggs (39), and Rehl (37) were found guilty of seditious conspiracy and conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding.
The four defendants and co-defendant Dominic Pezzola (45) were also found guilty of obstruction of an official proceeding, conspiracy to prevent Congress and federal law enforcement officers from discharging their duties, civil disorder, and destruction of government property. Pezzola was also found guilty of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers and robbery involving government property.
Proud Boys Sentences
On October 31, 2023, Proud Boys Joseph Biggs and Zachary Rehl listened as the lawyers and U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly discussed their future.
The following day, Ethan Nordean and Dominic Pezzola learned how long they would live in a federal prison.
Democracy Now reported that Proud Boys Lieutenant Biggs, the former leader of the Florida chapter, was sentenced to 15 years.
In the days leading to the attempted coup, “the gang’s top propagandist” published “The Second Civil War Is Closer Than You might Think. Buy Ammo. Clean Your Guns. Things Are Going to Get a Lot Worse Before They Get Better.”
During their sentencing, Biggs and Rehl started crying. Rehl, who was sentenced to 17 years, sobbed, “I’m done peddling lies for other people who don’t care about me.” According to The Hill, the former Philadelphia Proud Boys chapter president Rehl said he let politics consume his life, causing him to “lose track of who and what mattered most.”
Nordean, known as Rufio Panman in right-wing circles, was sentenced to serve 18 years. “The undisputed leader on the ground” during the attempted coup. The Seattle Times reported that Nordean, an Auburn, Washington resident, led “a crew of nearly 200 hand-picked rally boys to attack the U.S. Capitol.”
Finally, Proud Boys Pezzola from Rochester, New York, was sentenced to 10 years. Judge Timothy Kelly explained Pezzola’s “lesser role compared to his co-defendants and his conduct that day and that his actions ‘warrant significant deterrence.'”
Written by Cathy Milne-Ware
Sources:
Department of Justice: Jury Convicts Four Leaders of the Proud Boys of Seditious Conspiracy Related to U.S. Capitol Breach (Press Release)
Department of Justice: Proud Boys Leaders Sentenced to Prison for Roles in Jan. 6 Capitol Breach (Press Release)
The Seattle Times: WA Proud Boy Ethan Nordean Sentenced in Jan. 6 Attack on U.S. Capitol; By Mike Carter
Democracy Now: Jan. 6: Proud Boys Lieutenant Joe Biggs, Who Warned of “Second Civil War,” Sentenced to 17 Years (Guest: HuffPost Senior Editor Andy Campbell)
The Hill: Proud Boy Zachary Rehl receives 15 years in prison, half of government request; By Ella Lee
Featured and Top Image by Anthony Crider Courtesy of Flickr – Creative Commons License
First Inset Image by Elvert Barnes Courtesy of Wikimedia – Creative Commons License
Second Inset Image by Anthony Crider Courtesy of Flickr – Creative Commons License
