Zachary Rehl, a former leader and organizer of the far-right extremist group Proud Boys, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for his involvement in the US Capitol’s January 6, 2021 attack.
The purpose of the assault was to disrupt the peaceful transition of power from then-President Donald Trump to Joe Biden following the 2020 presidential election.
Former Proud Boys Leader Sentenced to 15 Years for Role in US Capitol Attack
During the events of that day, Rehl was captured on video spraying a chemical irritant at law enforcement officers outside the Capitol.
Federal prosecutors claim that during his trial, he was consistently misled about his role in the assault.
Rehl, who played a significant role in leading a group of Proud Boys members and associates to the Capitol on that fateful day, was initially prescribed a 30-year prison term.
Rehl and his fellow Proud Boys participated in the breach of police lines, which ultimately resulted in the evacuation of legislators and the disruption of the joint session of Congress tasked with certifying Biden’s electoral victory.
Notably, the same judge who sentenced Rehl, US District Judge Timothy Kelly, also sentenced Joseph Biggs, another prominent Proud Boys organizer, to 17 years in prison.
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Sentences Delivered for Capitol Attack Participation
The sentences were handed down due to their participation in the attack on the Capitol. In the coming days, Judge Kelly is expected to proceed with sentencing three other convicted Proud Boys, who were found guilty after a four-month trial that cast light on the extent to which far-right extremists embraced then-President Trump’s baseless claims that the election was stolen.
The former national chairman and commander of the Proud Boys, Enrique Tarrio, will be sentenced the following week.
Tarrio was not present in Washington on January 6, as he had been apprehended a few days earlier for defacing a Black Lives Matter banner at a previous rally.
He appointed Joseph Biggs and Ethan Nordean as the Proud Boys’ ground commanders in his absence.
Rehl, Biggs, Tarrio, and Nordean were all found guilty of seditious conspiracy, a rarely used Civil War-era crime.
While Rehl and Biggs faced recommended sentences of thirty and thirty-three years, respectively, for their roles in the attack, the defense argued that their clients were unjustly held liable for the actions of others in the crowd.
Also pending is the sentencing of Proud Boys members Nordean and Dominic Pezzola.
More than 1,100 individuals have been charged with federal offenses related to the January 6 attack on the Capitol. More than 600 of them have been convicted and sentenced.
The severity of the sentences conveys a powerful message about the repercussions of such actions and may serve as a deterrent against future extremist activities.
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