Capitol attack: Four far-right Proud Boys convicted of 'seditious conspiracy'

NEWS WIRES

4 May 2023 at 0:20 pm·1-min read

Capitol attack: Four far-right Proud Boys convicted of 'seditious conspiracy'

A jury on Thursday convicted four members of the far-right Proud Boys militia group including its former leader Enrique Tarrio of seditious conspiracy, finding they plotted to attack the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, in a failed bid to block Congress from certifying President Joe Biden's election victory.

The convictions after a trial lasting nearly four months handed another victory to the US Justice Department as it pursues criminal charges against more than 1,000 people arising from the Capitol rampage by supporters of Republican then-President Donald Trump. Several members of another far-right militia group, the Oath Keepers, were convicted in earlier trials.

In addition to Tarrio, Proud Boys members Ethan Nordean, Joseph Biggs and Zachary Rehl were convicted of seditious conspiracy under a Civil War-era law – a charge that can carry up to 20 years in prison.

The jury did not reach a verdict on seditious conspiracy or conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding for Dominic Pezzola, the only defendant in the case who did not play a leadership role in the organization.

The judge instructed the jurors to resume deliberations on two outstanding counts for which they had not reached a verdict.

The trial of the Proud Boys members was the longest of any of those arising from the Capitol attack, with the 12-member jury in federal court in Washington hearing about 50 days of testimony since January.