Two former Proud Boys leaders who had been convicted of seditious conspiracy for his or her actions throughout the Jan. 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol have been sentenced on Thursday, with the decide handing down one of many longest sentences but for somebody charged within the Jan. 6 assaults.
U.S. District Choose Timothy Kelly sentenced Joseph Biggs, the previous chief of the group’s Florida chapter, to 17 years in jail. He sentenced Zachary Rehl, the previous chief of the Proud Boys’ Philadelphia chapter, to fifteen years in jail.
Biggs, a U.S. military veteran, was a detailed ally of the previous Proud Boys chairman Enrique Tarrio. Biggs was convicted of seditious conspiracy in Might alongside two different Proud Boys leaders following a greater than four-month-long trial.
In handing down his sentence, Choose Kelly accepted the federal government’s suggestion to use an enhancement that successfully labeled Biggs’ crimes as acts of terrorism in searching for to affect the actions of presidency by threats and use of pressure.
Prosecutors had sought 33 years in jail for Biggs, their longest advisable jail sentence but for any participant convicted of becoming a member of the Jan. 6 assault — their identical suggestion for Tarrio. They’d beforehand sought 25 years in jail for Oath Keepers chief Stewart Rhodes, who was convicted for main his far-right militia members in a separate seditious conspiracy and sentenced earlier this 12 months to 18 years in jail.
Biggs’ sentence is the second longest for any defendant charged in reference to the Capitol assault; Rehl’s sentence is the third longest. Tarrio is about to be sentenced subsequent Tuesday.
Prosecutors characterised Biggs because the “tip of the spear” for the mob all through the Capitol assault in his position as co-leader of the so-called “Ministry of Self Protection,” a planning group that later advanced into the Proud Boys’ Jan. 6 floor operation.
“The proof at trial demonstrated that Biggs was a vocal chief and influential proponent of the group’s shift towards political violence,” prosecutors mentioned of their sentencing memo for Biggs. “Greater than maybe some other, Biggs appreciated the tactical benefit that his pressure had that day, and he understood the importance of his actions in opposition to his personal authorities.”
They pointed to more and more threatening and violent rhetoric espoused by Biggs within the days after the November 2020 election main as much as the Jan. 6 assault — and famous that he had inspired Tarrio to “get radical and get actual males” solely hours after former President Donald Trump first introduced plans for his supporters to rally in Washington on the day of the certification.
Through the assault on the Capitol, prosecutors mentioned Biggs performed a job in 4 separate breaches of legislation enforcement strains, and after getting into the constructing made his method to the Senate chamber.
After Jan. 6, Biggs recorded a podcast-style interview the place he celebrated the assault as a “warning shot to the federal government” that confirmed them “how weak they really are.”
In Thursday’s listening to, Assistant U.S. Legal professional Jason McCullough sought to make the case to Choose Kelly {that a} important sentence was warranted for Biggs and the opposite Proud Boys for deterrence functions — setting an instance to different extremists that finishing up related assaults in opposition to the federal government can be punished severely.
“There’s a cause why we are going to maintain our collective breaths as we strategy future elections,” McCullough mentioned throughout the listening to. “That is what they aimed to do. They aimed to intimidate and terrify elected officers, legislation enforcement and the remainder of the nation that they did not agree with and make them heel to their political viewpoint.”
He added, “The repercussions right here have to be identified.”
Biggs’ legal professional Norm Pattis argued for leniency, claiming that a lot of the statements pointed to by the federal government must be protected below his rights to free speech and, regardless of his guilt as decided by the jury, “we expect that the crimes are overstated on this case and that the case was overproven.”
“To deal with these males as terrorists can be the purposeful equal of the destruction of Waco,” Pattis mentioned, referencing the 1993 siege by the U.S. authorities and Texas legislation enforcement of the Department Davidians’ compound.
Addressing the court docket himself, Biggs turned emotional as he sought to dispute the characterization of him as a “terrorist” and begged for leniency so he may at some point be launched to look after his daughter.
“On Jan. 6 I used to be seduced by the gang and I simply moved ahead,” Biggs mentioned. “My curiosity acquired the higher of me and I’ve to dwell with that for the remainder of my life, and I am so sorry.”
Zachary Rehl
Rehl helped lead the cost on Jan. 6 and was among the many first wave of rioters to breach the Capitol. Additionally, he helped overwhelm officers, spraying one within the face with an irritant spray, in keeping with the sentencing memo.
Rehl later made posts on social media calling Jan. 6 a “historic day,” and instructed his mom how proud he was of the Proud Boys’ Capitol assault, in keeping with the sentencing memo.
Prosecutors had requested 30 years behind bars for Rehl, who they argued served a “key logistical position” for the Proud Boys throughout the Capitol assault and helped relay data to co-conspirators that weren’t even within the metropolis that day about what was taking place on the bottom.
Rehl was additionally accused of perjuring himself 14 instances when testifying at trial after he was confronted with video proof displaying him spraying cops with a chemical irritant.
“Rehl’s phrases and actions reveal his intent on January 6 — he was there to make use of pressure and violence to affect his authorities and lead a civil struggle,” prosecutors wrote of their sentencing suggestion.
After detailing his conduct on the listening to and figuring out he did certainly perjure himself throughout trial, Choose Kelly mentioned he calculated his sentencing guideline vary as between 30 years to life in jail — increased than the rules set for Biggs earlier within the day. However just like Biggs, Kelly delivered a sentenced considerably beneath the rules as a result of he mentioned he believed the terrorism enhancement utilized to his sentence truly overstated the seriousness of his conduct.
Earlier than he was sentenced, Rehl broke down into tears as he pleaded for leniency from Kelly and requested for forgiveness from his household.
“I am carried out with politics,” he mentioned. “I am carried out peddling lies for those that do not care about me… Jan. 6 was a despicable day.”
Choose Kelly singled out Rehl’s conduct spraying cops and later mendacity about it as distinctive from his different Proud Boys co-defendants, and mentioned his statements after the riot celebrating what had occurred have been “chilling.”
-ABC Information’ Sarah Beth Hensley contributed to this report.
