Because of the attack on the US Capitol in January 2021, the former leader of the right-wing group “Proud Boys” is to be imprisoned for 22 years. Henry “Enrique” Tarrio was sentenced Tuesday, the US Department of Justice said later. A jury at a Washington court in May found Tarrio guilty of “seditious conspiracy” in connection with the January 6, 2021 attack. The sentence was then announced. Several US media quoted a lawyer for Tarrios as saying that his client was planning to appeal.
The offense of “seditious conspiracy” has been used very rarely in the country’s judicial history. According to the New York Times, Tarrio was given the harshest sentence to date in connection with the Capitol attack.
On January 6, 2021, supporters of President Donald Trump, who was voted out at the time, violently stormed the seat of the US Parliament in Washington. Congress met there that day to formally confirm Democrat Joe Biden’s victory in the presidential election. Trump had previously stirred up his supporters in a speech with the false claim that he had been deprived of a victory by massive election fraud. Five people died as a result of the riots. The attack on the heart of US democracy shook the country.
Attorney General Merrick Garland said the “Proud Boys” played a central role in the attack. Tarrio has now learned what punishment a conspiracy to violently prevent the lawful transfer of power entails. Other members of the group had previously been sentenced to long prison terms.
