A former Proud Boy leader, Jeremy Bertino, is pleading guilty to seditious conspiracy for his involvement in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. The 43-year-old had previously testified before the Jan. 6 committee and is the first member of the far-right, white nationalist group to plead guilty. His seditious conspiracy charge is the most serious charge in the more than 870 cases being pursued by the Justice Department, which alleges the group had developed a plan to infiltrate the Capitol to prevent a peaceful transfer of power. On Jan. 6, Bertino posted to his public social media account, “DO NOT GO HOME. WE ARE ON THE CUSP OF SAVING THE CONSTITUTION,” according to the Justice Department. Bertino is also charged with unlawful possession. He could face a maximum of 20 years for the conspiracy charge, and an additional 10 for the firearms charge.
