Enrique Tarrio, the now-former leader of the neo-fascist Proud Boys gang convicted on treason-related charges after fuelling a mob on January 6, is set to be released from federal prison following Donald Trump’s expected clemency order.
Tarrio, who was sentenced to 22 years in prison, was among four members of the group convicted of seditious conspiracy and other crimes following a four-month trial.
More than 1,500 people have been criminally charged in connection with a mob’s assault on the Capitol, fuelled by Trump’s bogus narrative that the 2020 presidential election was rigged and stolen from him.
Trump issued “full pardons” for roughly 1,500 people on January 20.
“I hope they come out tonight,” he said as he signed a series of orders from the Oval Office.
Tarrio — who was not in Washington D.C., on January 6 — was found guilty of organizing and directing a mob towards the Capitol, where Proud Boys members dismantled barricades and broke windows to breach the halls of Congress, then bragged about their actions on social media and in group chat messages that were later shared with jurors.
Tarrio’s mother announced on Monday that her son will soon be released.
His lawyer Nayib Hassan told The New York Times that he could be out of prison by as early as Monday night.
Other Proud Boys who were on trial with Tarrio — including Ethan Nordean, who was senteced to 18 years in prison, and Joe Biggs, who was was sentenced to 17 years — are also expected to be released.
Tarrio served as a “naturally charismatic leader, a savvy propagandist, and the celebrity Chairman” of the group, wielding his influence over his subordinates and allies to “organize and execute the conspiracy to forcibly stop the peaceful democratic transfer of power” as lawmakers convened to certify election results, according to federal prosecutors.
Tarrio instead used his talents “to inflame and radicalize untold numbers of followers, promoting political violence in general and orchestrating the charged conspiracies in particular,” they argued.
During a televised presidential debate on September, 29, 2020, moderator Chris Wallace repeatedly asked Trump whether he would denounce white supremacism. Trump asked for a name to reference. Joe Biden, standing on the opposite side of the stage, suggested the Proud Boys.
“Proud Boys, stand back and stand by,” Trump said. “But I’ll tell you what somebody’s got to do something about antifa and the left because this is not a right-wing problem. This is a left-wing problem.”
Almost immediately, Proud Boys members and their allies celebrated what they heard as a call to action. On Parler, Tarrio wrote: “Standing by, sir.”
On December 12, 2020, Tarrio and members of the Proud Boys and other far-right groups sparked riots in Washington in the wake of Trump’s defeat. Tarrio admitted in comments on Parler and on a Proud Boys-affiliated podcast that he was responsible for burning a church’s sign.
“I was the one that lit it on fire,” he said. “I was the person that went ahead and put the lighter to it and engulfed it in flames, and I am damn proud that I did.”
Tarrio was arrested moments after arriving in Washington from Miami on 4 January, 2021. During his arrest, police found Tarrio was carrying two high-capacity magazines compatible with high-powered rifles. Both were empty.
But in the weeks leading up to his arrival, Tarrio assembled a “Ministry of Self-Defense” with his co-defendants, which became the “primary instrument” through which members of the group prepared for January 6, according to prosecutors.
Members of the group were instructed to conceal and destroy evidence of their conversations and to refuse to cooperate with law enforcement, with warnings of disavowal and retribution if members were exposed.
Days before the attack, Tarrio exchanged messages over a document titled “1776 Returns” that included plans to occupy “crucial buildings” with “as many people as possible,” including the House and Senate. One message told him that “revolution is [sic] important than anything,” to which Tarrio replied: “That’s what every waking moment consists of … I’m not playing games.”
On January 6, Tarrio told followers on social media that day to “do what must be done” and, in a group chat with other Proud Boys members, “do it again.”
“Don’t f****** leave,” he told them.
“Make no mistake,” he wrote in another message. “We did this.”
