A former leader of the right-wing Proud Boys group, Enrique Tarrio, was sentenced to 22 years in jail on Tuesday for his involvement in the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol . The sentence, longest so far in the case, was imposed by U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly for his role in the riot by then-President Donald Trump’s supporters. Tarrio, 39, of Miami had been convicted of seditious conspiracy for his role in the riot at Capitol Hill that sought to stop Congress from certifying President Joe Biden's defeat of Trump.
Tarrio’s lawyer said that his absence from Washington on January 6, the result of another judge's earlier order, implied that he had no "direct influence" on the incident. Tarrio would appeal against the order, the lawyers added, as per a Reuters report.
The prosecutors, however, said that he remained in touch with the group and monitored their actions.
"Mr. Tarrio was the ultimate leader of that conspiracy. Mr. Tarrio was the ultimate leader, the ultimate person who organised, who was motivated by revolutionary zeal,” the judge noted, according to the Reuters report.
"He was on a tier of his own," Assistant U.S. Attorney Conor Mulroe observed, adding that he was a uniquely influential figure among the group.
The prosecutors had asked the Judge for a sentence of 33 years of imprisonment for Tarrio saying he helped direct the attack from Baltimore, while his attorneys had asked for no more than 15 years, the report added.
Tarrio’s conviction came a week after another Proud Boys leader Ethan Nordean was sentenced to 18 years of jail. Oath Keepers militia founder Stewart Rhodes was also sentenced 18 years of imprisonment in May.
In court, Tarrio said he was sorry for his actions adding what happened on January 6 was "national embarrasment". "I am extremely ashamed and disappointed," he said.
Over 1,100 people have been arrested on charges related to Capitol assault while 630 have pleaded guilty and at least 110 have been convicted at trial.