Justice Department Seeks 33 Years in Prison for Enrique Tarrio in Jan. 6 Case

August 18th, 3:00 PM EDT

Henry Enrique Tarrio

MGN via Jared Holt / CC BY-SA 4.0

(NEWSnet/AP) – The Justice Department is seeking 33 years in prison for Enrique Tarrio, the former Proud Boys leader convicted of seditious conspiracy involving the attack on the U.S. Capitol, according to court documents.

The sentence, if imposed, would be by far the longest punishment that has been handed down in the massive prosecution of the riot on Jan. 6, 2021. Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes, who was convicted of seditious conspiracy in a separate case, has received the longest sentence to date — 18 years.

Tarrio, who once served as national chairman of the far-right extremist group, and three others were convicted by a Washington jury in May of conspiring to block the transfer of presidential power in the hopes of keeping Donald Trump in the White House.

Tarrio, who was not at the Capitol riot itself, was a top target of what has become the largest Justice Department investigation in American history. He had been arrested two days earlier in a separate case and ordered out of the capital city.

During the months-long trial, prosecutors argued that the Proud Boys viewed themselves as foot soldiers fighting for Trump as the Republican spread lies that Democrats stole the election from him, and were prepared to go to war to keep their preferred leader in power.

Prosecutors are also asking for a 33-year-sentence for one of Tarrio's co-defendants, Joseph Biggs of Ormond Beach, Florida, a self-described Proud Boys organizer.

Defense attorneys argued there was no conspiracy and no plan to attack the Capitol, and sought to portray the Proud Boys as an unorganized drinking club whose members’ participation in the riot was a spontaneous act fueled by Trump’s election rage.