Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio sentenced to 22 years in prison, longest for a January 6 defendant

Enrique Tarrio, the former leader of a group called the Proud Boys, has been given a very long prison sentence. He has to spend 22 years in prison because he was involved in a plan to stop the transfer of power from Donald Trump to Joe Biden after the 2020 election. This is the longest prison sentence given to anyone related to the events at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.

When the judge, Timothy Kelly, announced the sentence, Tarrio was in the courtroom, wearing an orange jumpsuit and sneakers. He looked sad and disappointed. Last week, three other leaders of the Proud Boys were also found guilty of being part of this plan and received prison sentences.

The judge said that the peaceful transfer of power in a democracy is very important. He explained that our country was created as a place where people can govern themselves, but that won't work if elections are threatened with violence.

Tarrio's lawyer disagreed with the judge's decision and said they might appeal it.

Even though Tarrio was not at the Capitol during the attack, the judge believed that he had a big influence on what happened that day.

The U.S. Justice Department wanted Tarrio to be in prison for 33 years, but the judge gave a shorter sentence.

Other members of the Proud Boys also got prison sentences. Ethan Nordean and Joseph Biggs received 18 and 17 years, respectively. Zachary Rehl got 15 years, and Dominic Pezzola got 10 years, but he was not found guilty of the most serious charge.

Before he was sentenced, Tarrio said he was sorry for what happened on January 6 and promised not to be involved in politics or rallies anymore. He said he realized he was wrong.

The prosecutor, Conor Mulroe, criticized Tarrio, saying he had a harmful ability to control others and was the leader of the plan to disrupt the government.

Tarrio's lawyer, Sabino Jauregui, argued that his client was not a terrorist but a patriot who wanted to save the country, even though he made a mistake.

During the trial, evidence showed that Tarrio helped organize the Proud Boys and communicated with others who were at the Capitol on January 6, even though he was not there himself. The Proud Boys were at the front of the group that broke into the Capitol, leading to the evacuation of Congress and the temporary delay of certifying the 2020 election results.