One of the leaders of the storming of the Capitol is punished

One of the leaders of the American far-right group Proud Boys, Joseph Biggswas sentenced Thursday to 17 years in prison for conspiring to try to detain the former president Donald Trump (2017-2021) in power.

For his part, Zachary Rehl received a sentence of 15 years in prison, two less than Biggs. The prosecution asked for 30 years in prison for Rehl.

Rehl, Biggs, Ethan Nordean and Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio, who is of Cuban descent, were found guilty in May of conspiracy commit rebellion by assault January 6, 2021 to the Capitol, which took place as Democrat Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 election was confirmed.

The prosecution sought 33 years in prison against Biggs, and today’s sentence is close to the 18 years imposed last May on the founder of the ultra-right group. Oath keepersStewart Rhodes, also for conspiring to keep Trump in the White House.

That penalty remains the strongest thrown against the defendant attack on January 6, 2021, a day when about 10,000 people – mostly Trump supporters – marched on the Capitol and about 800 stormed the building. There were five dead and about 140 injured agents.

Another defendant along with Biggs and the other three Proud Boys, Dominic Pezzola, was acquitted of rioting charges in May, but was found guilty of assault, resisting an official and theft of government property.

The guilty plea followed a week of deliberations in federal court in Washington.

During the process, prosecutors showed messages and videos posted by the defendants themselves and other members of the group, who called for violence and revolution against the change in the presidency.

According to the prosecution, the messages spoke of the need for “war”, “revolution” and the execution of traitors.

A sentencing hearing for Nordean is scheduled for this Friday at 14:00 local time (18:00 GMT), and a hearing for Tarria is expected on Tuesday at 14:00.

District Judge Timothy Kelly said Thursday in sentencing Biggs that the Constitution grants citizens “many important rights that Americans have fought and died for,” noting, according to CNN, that the events of Jan. 6 “interrupted the tradition of peaceful transfers of power .”