The leader of the Proud Boys and three other members were found guilty of seditious conspiracy on Thursday, setting up the neo-fascist Jan. 6 insurrectionists for a potential sentence of 20 years in federal prison. The verdict came after a four-month trial, part of which focused on whether Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio should be charged with the same crimes as his associates despite not being at the Capitol on Jan. 6. In the end, prosecutors—with help from previously convicted Proud Boys members who testified—convinced a Washington jury that Tarrio was integral in the attack even from afar, pushing Proud Boys to create a “spectacle” on Jan. 6, followed by a celebration and claims of credit after the attack. Joseph Biggs, Ethan Nordean and Zachary Rehl were also found guilty of seditious conspiracy, a rare offense that stems from a Civil War-era statute. The jury was still split Thursday on whether Dominic Pezzola should face the same charge, and they will continue to deliberate.
