A Jan. 6 rioter and member of the far-right Proud Boys group who stormed the U.S. Capitol building was hit with a six-year sentence Wednesday after berating the federal judge handling his case, calling him a “clown” and a “fraud” while promising that he would not apologize for his actions regardless of the length of time he’d have to spend in jail.
“You can give me 100 years and I’d do it all over again,” Marc Bru told Judge James Boasberg, who responded, according to The Guardian: “That’s the definition of no remorse in my book.”
During the proceedings, Boasberg repeatedly warned Bru against his frequent interruptions, saying that he was on thin ice and would be booted from the courtroom if he continued.
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Bru is a self-identified member of the anti-government sovereign citizen movement, and insisted throughout his trial that he did not “consent” to the prosecution.
“You are outside of your jurisdiction,” Bru said as his closing argument in the trial. “You have trafficked me and you have committed war crimes against me.”
He was ultimately convicted on seven counts—including two felonies—for his actions on Jan. 6.
Bru arrived in Washington on Jan. 5, 2021, to attend Trump’s now-infamous “Stop the Steal” rally the next day. According to a statement of facts filed by the Department of Justice, he marched with fellow Proud Boys to the Capitol and became one of the first people to breach police lines by tossing a barricade at officers. Later, he entered the building, posing for photos in the Senate Gallery and milling around for roughly 13 minutes before exiting.
Prosecutors labeled Bru as one of the least remorseful rioters they had dealt with, according to The Guardian—and noted that his attempts to interfere with American democracy did not stop after the Capitol riots subsided. They argued during his trial that he returned home from Washington and “made plans to lead a violent, armed insurrection to take over the government in Portland, Oregon” just several weeks later.
