Four members of the far-right group Proud Boys have been convicted of seditious conspiracy in Washington, D.C., for their part in attempting to prevent the peaceful transfer of power from then-President Donald Trump to Joe Biden following the 2020 election. Defendants Ethan Nordean, Joseph Biggs, Zachary Rehl, Enrique Tarrio, and Dominic Pezzola faced multiple charges, including three separate conspiracy charges, obstruction of the Electoral College vote, and evidence tampering.
This verdict represents the third instance of seditious conspiracy convictions in the Justice Department's historic prosecution of the Capitol breach. The jury failed to reach a verdict on the seditious conspiracy charge against Pezzola and several other counts against all five defendants, and the judge instructed them to continue deliberations.
During the trial, prosecutors used messages and videos from the defendants and other group members to argue that the Proud Boys, inspired by Trump and his false claims about the 2020 election, began advocating for violence and revolution against the incoming Biden administration. Prosecutors maintained that the group considered Biden and other left-wing individuals as threats to the country and exchanged messages about the necessity for "war," "revolution," and firing squads for traitors.
On January 6, 2021, many of the defendants did not attend Trump's speech but instead started a march towards the Capitol. The Proud Boys were at the forefront of the mob, and their leaders allegedly incited members and communicated with them via hand signals to advance. Prosecutors claimed that Pezzola, after arriving at the Senate wing doors, used a stolen police riot shield to break a window, allowing rioters to enter the Capitol.
Defense attorneys argued that their clients never intended to storm the Capitol or obstruct the electoral college vote, asserting that the messages and videos only displayed vulgar rhetoric rather than a seditious plot against the U.S. government.
Throughout the trial, jurors heard testimony from several officers who defended the Capitol on January 6, FBI agents who investigated the Proud Boys, and some Proud Boys members, including two defendants. None of these witnesses claimed that there had been a specific plan to seize the Capitol. The trial, initially expected to last five to seven weeks, stretched across four months due to numerous delays caused by newly discovered evidence and informants, a juror who believed they were being followed, and disputes among attorneys.
