WASHINGTON — Friday’s plea to a felony charge of obstruction of an official proceeding was made by a former D.C. bartender and Proud Boys member.
Joshua Pruitt (40), appeared from prison for a virtual hearing with U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Kelly. He admitted that he was part of the mob that stormed Capitol. Pruitt was indicted on eight charges, including obstruction of an official proceeding and civil disorder. After Pruitt’s sentence, seven other charges will be dropped under a plea agreement with the government. The recommended sentencing range for Pruitt is between 51 and 63 months in federal jail.
In court documents, Pruitt acknowledged that he almost came in contact with Sen. Chuck Schumer when the senator’s security team tried to take the former-minority leader to safety. Pruitt said that he was heading towards the Senate subway and threw a chair in front of officers when he saw Schumer’s security team waiting for an elevator.
“As they waited for Senator Schumer to arrive, a member from Senator Schumer’s security detail noticed PRUITT approaching and one man.” Pruitt made a statement in which he admitted that Senator Schumer and the security detail reversed their course and ran from the elevator back down the ramp and away from PRUITT.
Pruitt finally escaped through a broken window and then confessed to someone via text that the Capitol was his home and that he was “about to fight it with the cops.” Pruitt later wrote that “inside was fun.”
Pruitt was taken into custody after he violated the curfew that D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowlser imposed on Jan. 6. He is currently at the Rappahannock Regional Jail, Virginia. Pruitt was originally granted pretrial release. Judge Kelly however ordered Pruitt to be jailed in January after Pruitt repeatedly violated curfew.
Pruitt is among several Proud Boys from the right who have pleaded guilty to charges in Jan. 6 cases. Louis Enrique Colon, a Proud Boys member from Missouri, pleaded guilty in April to a felony offense, as well as Charles Donohoe (a Proud Boys chapter head in North Carolina).
Pruitt’s lawyer filed last month a motion to prevent a jury hearing about Pruitt’s affiliation with Proud Boys. He claimed it would be prejudicial to the jury and would “distract them” to link him with an organization that has been “associated with racially charged beliefs” as well as members who have been “branded by the media to be violent racist[s]”.
Enrique Tarrio (former leader of the Proud Boys) was indicted for conspiracy in connection to Jan. 6 attacks. He is currently being held in pretrial custody. Tarrio is seen in November 2020 in D.C. introducing Pruitt to the Proud Boys at the Million Maga March.
In connection with Jan. 6, attack, more than 800 people were charged. They face charges that range from petty misdemeanors and seditious conspiracies. More than 300 people pleaded guilty.
