Enrique Tarrio, a former leader of the Proud Boys, has been sentenced to 22 years in prison for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021insurrection at the United States Capitol.
On Tuesday, Tarrio appeared in court in an orange jumpsuit as District Judge Timothy Kelly gave him the longest sentence of anyone involved in the 2021 Capitol Riots, according toCNN.
TheNew York Timesadded that more than 1,100 people have already been charged in connection withthe deadly attack.
Enrique Tarrio, leader of the Proud Boys, stands outside of the Hyatt Regency where the Conservative Political Action Conference is being held on February 27, 2021 in Orlando, Florida.Joe Raedle/Getty
Joe Raedle/Getty
During the early 2021 headline-making incident, scores ofDonald Trumpsupporters stormed the Capitol in an attempt to stop the peaceful transfer of power asJoe Bidenwas declared president of the United States following Trump’s presidency.
Capitol Riots during the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection.Michael Nigro/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty
“What happened that day did not honor the founders, it was the kind of thing they wrote the Constitution to prevent,” the judge continued.
Nayib Hassan, an attorney representing Tarrio, spoke to reporters outside of the courthouse once the verdict came in. He said that both he and his client “respectfully disagree” with the judge’s decision.
“It caught us off guard,” Hassan said. The lawyer then hinted at an appeal, adding, “That’s what the appellate process is for.”
Before his sentencing, Tarrio, 39, told the court he was sorry for the “pain and suffering” his actions caused. He promised that moving forward, he would no longer participate in “politics, groups, activism or rallies.”
“I have always tried to hold myself to a higher standard and I failed,” he said. “I held myself morally above others, and this trial has shown me how wrong I was.”
Tarrio also told Judge Kelly he “spent the last year and a half trying to figure out how I ended up at this podium. On November 3, 2020, something that I never expected happened —my candidate lost. I felt like something was personally stolen from me. Every media channel that I turned to told me I was justified.”
Enrique Tarrio, leader of the Proud Boys, speaks to Black Lives Matters supporters during a gathering to commemorate the first anniversary of the death of George Floyd, in Miami, Florida, United States on May 25, 2021.Eva Marie Uzcategui Trinkl/Anadolu Agency via Getty
Eva Marie Uzcategui Trinkl/Anadolu Agency via Getty
The formerProud BoysChairman denounced his organization’s actions, adding, “I am not a political zealot. Inflicting harm or changing the outcome of the election was not my goal.”
Some in the D.C. courthouse did not agree with Tarrio’s words.
Prosecutor Conor Mulroe spoke out against Tarrio, arguing that he has a “toxic ability to control others.”
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In December 2021, just one month prior to the insurrection, Tarrio was associated with a mob that vandalized a Black Lives Matter banner from a historic church in downtown Washington. Thebanner was also set on fire. Video shared on social media showed accelerants being used to set the banner ablaze.
Tarrio later spoke toThe Washington Postabout the incident and admitted that he participated in the burning of the banner.
At the time, he told the outlet that he would plead guilty to the destruction of property and reimburse the church for the cost of the banner.
source: people.com
