Four Proud Boy leaders convicted of seditious conspiracy are among hundreds of Capitol rioters set to walk free following pardons and sentence commutations issued by newly inaugurated President Donald Trump.
Enrique Tarrio, who was the leader of the far-right gang at the time of the insurrection four years ago, had been sentenced to 22 years behind bars, the longest sentence received by any January 6 member. He received a pardon. Co-defendants Zachary Rehl, Joseph Biggs and Ethan Nordean, who were previously sentenced to 15, 17 and 18 years, had their sentences commuted and were ordered released effective Monday.
Tarrio’s mother, Zuny Duarte, told WIRED that Enrique will return to Miami at 3 p.m. Tuesday. He has been serving his sentence in a federal prison in Pollock, Louisiana.
Trump issued 14 sentence commutations and granted blanket pardons for all other people convicted in connection with the Capitol riot. About 1,580 people in total were charged with crimes related to January 6.
“These people have been destroyed, what has been done to them is outrageous, there has rarely been anything like this in the history of this country,” Trump said of the Jan. 6 members from the Oval Office. He also raised conspiracy theories that “outside agitators” and the FBI were somehow responsible for the violence that unfolded on January 6. Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes, who was also convicted of seditious conspiracy, also had his sentence commuted and will be free.
Trump had mocked the incoming pardons at his event earlier Monday at the Capital One Arena, promising an imminent release of the “J6 hostages.”
“Oh, you’ll be happy reading the papers tomorrow and the next day and the next day,” he said.
Reached by phone early Monday, Duarte told WIRED they were anticipating Enrique’s release. “The boys are excited and think that justice will finally come to us,” Duarte said. “Donald Trump knows what it’s like to be on the side of the prosecuted and the unjust side of things.”
When asked if Tarrio was still involved with the Proud Boys, Duarte responded, “That’s a question you should ask him when he’s out.”
Before Trump had even put ink to paper, news that correctional facilities were beginning to process the release of those born on January 6 had begun to leak online. Social media accounts linked to the Proud Boys were jubilant, and Gavin McInnes, who founded the Proud Boys in 2016, declared “Party for the Boys” on a livestream of his show as he collected donations to support freed members of the Proud Boys. the gang
As a first-day event, it was surprisingly symbolic. Four years ago, on January 6, 2021, thousands of Trump supporters, galvanized by conspiracy theories about the 2020 election, descended on DC and laid siege to the Capitol with the goal of preventing the peaceful transfer of power. The ugly scenes culminated in the deaths of five people, left more than 140 police officers injured, and Trump left Washington in disgrace.
Weeks later, Joe Biden was sworn in as the 46th president of the United States behind riot barriers, barbed wire and under the gaze of more than 25,000 national guard soldiers.