A jury in Washington D.C. has found four members of the “Proud Boys” guilty of “Seditious Conspiracy” in the January 6 Capitol Riot. They could face up to 20 years in prison. The charge and the way it played out could provide a roadmap for Special Prosecutor Jack Smith as he decides whether to go after President Trump. If Trump is charged with “Seditious Conspiracy,” there is little doubt he will be convicted in heavily Democrat voting (90%) Washington D.C. Unfortunately, there is no way he gets a fair trial in D.C. – and that’s the way they want it.
A jury on Thursday convicted four members of the far-right Proud Boys militia group including its former leader Enrique Tarrio of seditious conspiracy, finding they plotted to attack the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in a failed bid to block Congress from certifying President Joe Biden’s election victory.
The verdicts after a trial lasting nearly four months in federal court in Washington handed another victory to the U.S. Justice Department, which Attorney General Merrick Garland said has secured the convictions of more than 600 people related to the Capitol rampage by supporters of then-President Donald Trump. Members of the Oath Keepers, another far-right militia, including founder Stewart Rhodes were previously convicted.
In addition to Tarrio, Proud Boys members Ethan Nordean, Joseph Biggs and Zachary Rehl were convicted of seditious conspiracy – a plot to oppose the government with force – under a Civil War-era law. Conviction on the charge can carry up to 20 years in prison. Dominic Pezzola, the only one of the five defendants who did not play a leadership role in the Proud Boys, was acquitted of the charge.
The 12-member jury, which deliberated about a week, also found Tarrio, Nordean, Biggs, Rehl and Pezzola guilty of other felonies including obstructing an official proceeding, a charge that also can carry up to 20 years in prison. They also were convicted of conspiring to impede Congress from performing its duties and obstructing law enforcement during a civil disorder. . . .
REUTERS