Members Of The Proud Boys Group Found Guilty Of Charges In The U. S Capitol Riot

EKO HOT BLOG reports that a total of five members of the Proud Boys, a far-right group known for their support of former US President Donald Trump, have been found guilty of various charges in relation to their involvement in the January 6 US Capitol riot.

Four of the defendants were convicted of seditious conspiracy, while all five were found guilty of obstructing official proceedings and other felonies. They face penalties of up to 20 years in prison for the most serious charges.

EDITOR’S PICK 

• Buhari Under Pressure From NLC To Intervene For Nigerians Trapped In Sudan

• Atiku Lauds Iwuanyanwu’s Election as Ohanaeze Ndigbo President-General

• National Assembly Member-Elect Ismaila Yushau Maihanchi Passes Away: A Big Blow to the PDP Family

Over 100 members of the Proud Boys took part in the riot, and the defendants were among them. The group had previously marched in Washington DC multiple times after the 2020 presidential election, often clashing with far-left anti-fascist groups.

The five defendants were found guilty of conspiracy to hinder officials from discharging their duties, impeding officers during civil disorder, and destruction of a fence protecting the Capitol.

A mistrial was declared on 10 charges where the jury failed to come to a conclusion, following a complex trial that took nearly four months – more than twice as long as planned.

Former Proud Boy chairman Henry “Enrique” Tarrio was not in Washington on the day of the riot, having been arrested two days before for burning a Black Lives Matter banner and weapons charges. He was ordered by a judge to leave the city and watched the events from a hotel room in nearby Baltimore.

The other defendants include Ethan Nordean, 31, of Washington state, who goes by the alias “Rufio Panman,” and was seen leading members of the group around the Capitol on January 6th. Co-defendant Joe Biggs, 38, of Florida, a US Army veteran and former broadcaster for Alex Jones’s Infowars, was also involved. Zachary Rehl, 36, a former US Marine and leader of the Philadelphia branch of the Proud Boys, was also part of the group that stormed the building.

The fifth defendant, 44-year-old Dominic Pezzola of Rochester, New York, was found not guilty of seditious conspiracy. Pezzola, also a former US Marine and at the time a relatively recent recruit to the group, took a riot shield from a police officer and smashed a window. He was one of the first people inside the building and lit a cigar in celebration.

FURTHER READING  

• NIDCOM Chair: Evacuation Arrangements Underway For Nigerians Trapped In Sudan

• Ohanaeze Ndigbo Leadership Crisis: Njiko Igbo Forum Rejects New President-General

• Legal Practitioners Call Out Buhari Over Lack Of Transparency In Asset Declaration

The Proud Boys’ protests culminated on January 6th, as the election results were due to be certified by Congress. The verdicts against the five defendants could have significant consequences for other individuals and groups that have been charged in connection with the riot.

Click to watch our video of the week