Former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio sentenced to 22 years for Jan. 6 attack

Enrique Tarrio, the former national leader of the Proud Boys, has been sentenced to 22 years in a federal prison for his involvement in the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. Tarrio, who was the de facto leader and spokesman of the far-right organization from 2017 until his arrest in February 2021, pleaded guilty to charges of damaging and destroying government property and obstruction of an official proceeding. He was indicted in April on nine criminal counts, including assaulting officers and carrying a weapon. In court filings, prosecutors attempted to show how Tarrio’s involvement in the insurrection was more extreme than many of his compadres, accusing him of actively encouraging the insurgency and his band of followers to “fight,” “take over” and carry out violence. In the sentencing documents, prosecutors also said that Tarrio “showed no remorse” for the attack. Because of his previous criminal record, the judge was also unable to consider probation. Tarrio’s attorney did not dispute the charges in court filings, but argued that the sentence should be kept to no more than two years, noting that Tarrio “accepts responsibility for his role in the January 6 events.” Tarrio’s legal team plans to appeal the 22-year sentence.