Leader of ‘Proud Boys’ that attacked US Capitol Building, Enrique Tarrio, sentenced to 22 years in prison

Enrique Tarrio, a former leader of the ‘Proud Boys’ gang that attacked the US Capitol Building on January 6, 2021, following an insurrection that erupted after the presidential election, has been sentenced to 22 years in prison for his role in the mayhem.

Tarrio, 39, was sentenced on Tuesday after he was found guilty by District Judge Timothy Kelly gave him the longest sentence of anyone involved in the 2021 Capitol Riots, according to the CNN.

Though Tarrio, a staunch supporter of former US President Donald Trump was not physically present during the insurrection that occurred after Joe Biden was declared winner of the disputed election, he was convicted for his role in organising the riot in an attempt to stop the peaceful transfer of power to Biden.

While delivering judgement, Justice Kelly said:

“It is kind of hard to put into words how important the peaceful transfer of power is. 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.

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“Mr. Tarrio was the ultimate leader, the ultimate person who organized, who was motivated by revolutionary zeal.

“What happened that day did not honor the founders, it was the kind of thing they wrote the Constitution to prevent.”

Before his sentencing, Tarrio told the court he was sorry for the “pain and suffering” his actions caused and promised that moving forward, he would no longer participate in politics, groups, activism or rallies.

“I have always tried to hold myself to a higher standard and I failed. I held myself morally above others, and this trial has shown me how wrong I was.

“I spent the last year and a half trying to figure out how I ended up at this podium. On November 3, 2020, something that I never expected happened — my candidate lost. I felt like something was personally stolen from me. Every media channel that I turned to told me I was justified,” he said.

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