On Tuesday, former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio was sentenced to 22 years in prison for his role in the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.
District Judge Timothy Kelly gave the 39-year-old the longest sentence of anyone involved in the riot. More than 1,100 people have been charged for their involvement in the attack, which was staged by Donald Trump supporters in an effort to stop the certification of President Joe Biden.
“It is kind of hard to put into words how important the peaceful transfer of power is,” Judge Kelly said. “Our country was founded as an experiment in self-government by the people, but it cannot long endure if the way we elect our leaders is threatened with force and violence.”
“Mr. Tarrio was the ultimate leader, the ultimate person who organized, who was motivated by revolutionary zeal,” the judge continued.
Prior to his sentencing, Tarrio told the court that he was “sorry for the pain and suffering” that he caused.
“I have always tried to hold myself to a higher standard and I failed,” he proclaimed. “I held myself morally above others, and this trial has shown me how wrong I was.”
Prosecutor Conor Mulroe rejected Tarrio’s apologies, arguing that the former Proud Boys chairman has a “toxic ability to control others.”
“These are men who would never strap a bomb to their chest or sign up for a training camp, but they are thrilled by the notion of traveling from city to city and beating their advisories senseless in a street fight,” Mulroe said.
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Tarrio’s attorney, Nayib Hassan, told reporters outside of the courthouse that he and his client “respectfully disagree” with the outcome.
“It caught us off guard,” Hassan explained, hinting at an appeal. “That’s what the appellate process is for.”
