(AmericanProsperity.com) – Former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio was sentenced on September 5 to 22 years in prison after commanding the Capitol riot on January 6, 2020. While he begged the judge for mercy, Tarrio received the biggest sentence handed down over this incident.
The 39-year-old Cuban-American was wearing an orange prison suit and was escorted by US Marshalls when he took the stand to beg Judge Timothy Kelly for mercy. Tarrio said he was a “different man” and wanted to reorient his life by rejoining his local church and helping others. He also apologized to the citizens of Washington, DC, and the officers who tried to control the riot, saying he was the only one to blame for what happened.
The former Proud Boys leader claimed he thought the 2020 presidential election was stolen and wanted to protect right-wingers from the far-left group Antifa, as he said he was influenced by the media. He then said he had failed as a person due to his selfishness.
About the Capitol riot, Kelly said that day broke the American tradition of a peaceful transfer of power, and noted it would take some time to fix it. The judge also said that while Tarrio publicly apologized, he felt disturbed by his comparison of the rioters to the United States’ founding fathers.
Three other Proud Boys members were sentenced to 15 and 18 years in prison. Tarrio’s lawyers said during the sentencing hearing that their client is not a terrorist but a “misguided patriot.” They also told Kelly that Tarrio simply committed the mistake of writing things “he shouldn’t have.”
The judge told them that a jury already dismissed that defense strategy and ruled that the 39-year-old Cuban-American was the main leader of the far-right group during the Capitol riot. Ultimately, Kelly ruled that his crimes intended to coerce the government’s conduct when his Proud Boys’ lieutenants brought down the barrier between rioters and police officers.
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