Proud Boys Leader Charged With Plotting Coup in US, Faces Up to 20 Years in Prison

Henry "Enrique" Tarrio, leader of the Proud Boys group, has been charged with plotting a seditious conspiracy and an attempt to "prevent, hinder, and delay" the execution of US laws over his alleged involvement in planning the group's actions at the US Capitol on 6 January 2021.

Tarrio, who is facing up to 20 years in prison on these charges, was indicted along with four other leaders of the Proud Boys, whom a grand jury in Washington, D.C. accused of creating a sub-group known as the "Ministry of Self Defense" to allegedly coordinate their actions on 6 January; their goal was to prevent the certification of Joe Biden's victory in the 2020 presidential election.

According to the indictment, prior to his arrest, Tarrio and several other members of the subgroup "did knowingly conspire, confederate, and agree with other persons" between December 2020 and January 2021 to oppose the US government's authority and to prevent the lawful process of the election's certification.

The indictment claims that to achieve that, the leaders encouraged other Proud Boys to arrive in Washington DC, raised funds to cover their travel expenses and allegedly engaged in secret meetings to plan the attack on the Capitol.

In the aftermath of 6 January, Tarrio publicly stated that he neither supported nor condemned the actions of the protesters, who had originally gathered outside the Congress building to demand that lawmakers delay the certification until the votes are checked for inconsistencies and fraud, which Biden's opponent, Donald Trump, claims to have happened in November 2020.

The Proud Boys thus became the second right-leaning US group to be indicted on seditious conspiracy charges in the follow-up to 6 January, with 11 members of the Oath Keepers, including their leader, being the first to face them. In total, the DoJ arrested over 800 people suspected of taking part in the 6 January events.

Some three dozen Proud Boys were charged with various violations related to the events on that day at the Capitol, but only a few plead guilty, including Matthew Greene and Charles Donohoe. Several members tried to challenge the indictment, claiming they were prosecuted for exercising their First Amendment right to free speech, but their appeals were rejected by District Judge Timothy Kelly.