Federal prosecutors say members of the far-right nationalist gang the Proud Boys “took aim at the heart of democracy” by conspiring to storm the US Capitol on 6 January, 2021.
Opening arguments in US District Court began on Thursday in a trial for five members of the group, including former leader Enrique Tarrio. The five men are charged with seditious conspiracy for their alleged roles in the attack on the US Capitol on 6 January, 2021. If convicted, they could faced up to 20 years in prison.
Federal prosecutors will try to convince a jury that the defendants had conspired to forcefully oppose the lawful transfer of presidential power when a joint session of Congress convened to certify the results of the 2020 presidential election.
The US Department of Justice has argued that the men – including Ethan Nordean, Joe Biggs, Dominic Pezzola and Zachary Rehl – were among the first rioters to break past barriers on the Capitol grounds that day. The House select committee investigating the Capitol attack has made similar findings, writing in its report that the Proud Boys “led the attack, penetrated the Capitol, and led hundreds of others inside.”
