One of the heaviest prison penalties ever for the US Capitol riot has been handed down to a leader of the far-right Proud Boys: 17 years.
Joe Biggs, a 38-year-old former soldier in the US Army, is accused of being a “instigator” of the 6 January 2021 storming of Congress.
In May, the former Infowars reporter was found guilty of seditious conspiracy and other offenses.
Biggs begged for forgiveness and professed regret for his deeds in court.
US District Judge Timothy Kelly imposed a sentence that is less than the 33 years sought by the prosecution and the federal sentencing guidelines.
Zachary Rehl, a different member of the Proud Boys, received a similar 15-year sentence on Thursday for seditious conspiracy.
Rehl, a former US Marine and the head of the Proud Boys’ Philadelphia chapter, was caught on camera during the disturbance blasting a chemical irritant at security personnel outside the Capitol.
Biggs was found guilty of a plethora of crimes in May, including seditious conspiracy, interfering with law enforcement during a civil disturbance, and using intimidation or threats to impede authorities from carrying out their jobs.
Prosecutors claimed in a sentencing letter that Biggs, an Iraq War veteran and former correspondent for the conspiracy website Infowars, used “his military experience to direct and control large groups of men under his command” to lead a “revolt against the government.”
The document stated that Biggs saw his movement as a second American revolution in which he and the other “patriots” would seize power by force.
Biggs apologized for his behavior in court and said that the crowd had “seduced” him the day of the riot. Biggs was visibly overcome with emotion.
“I simply advanced. “My curiosity ultimately won out,” he continued. No, I’m not a terrorist. I have no hatred inside of me.
Biggs responded, “I know that I must be punished, and I understand.
Judge Kelly stated that he was “not trying to minimize the violence” but that the 6 January riot was minor in compared to other mass mortality incidents when he handed down Biggs’ sentence. He stated that a harsher punishment might have led to inequalities in sentencing with other guilty rioters.
Four Proud Boys members, including former chair Enrique Tarrio, were also tried alongside Biggs; Tarrio’s sentencing was unexpectedly postponed on Wednesday. The day of his sentencing is set for the following week. A 33-year sentence is what the prosecution is asking for.
The Proud Boys engaged in the case have declared their intention to challenge the verdict.
Federal prosecutor Jason McCullough testified in court that the offences were “very serious” and that a harsh sentence would send a message before the presidential election of the following year.
“There is a reason why we shall all clutch our breaths as future elections approach… They brought it dangerously close to a constitutional catastrophe, he claimed.
Text messages, social media posts, and videos were all utilized by the prosecution to demonstrate the Proud Boys’ involvement in a planned attack on the Capitol’s certification of the 2020 election.
More than 1,100 persons had been detained on riot-related accusations as of August 6; as a result, more than 630 of them entered guilty pleas, and 110 of them were found guilty.
Stewart Rhodes, the founder of Oath Keepers, was another famous riot participant who received an 18-year prison term in May.
