A leader of the right-wing militia group Proud Boys was sentenced to 17 years in jail on Thursday, according to reports.
Joe Briggs was reportedly a key figure in a “seditious conspiracy” to forcibly overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, prosecutors said.
The attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, “broke our tradition of the peaceful transfer of power, which is one of the most precious things that we had as Americans,” said Judge Timothy Kelly.
Before sentencing, a tearful Biggs said that he regretted his actions and added that he would have nothing more to do with the Proud Boys and would focus on the welfare of his family.
“I’m so sorry,” he told the court. “I know that I messed up that day, but I’m not a terrorist.”
Prosecutor Jason McCullough said what Biggs and his group had done in shutting down Congress was “no different than the act of a spectacular bombing of a building.”
“They aimed to intimidate and terrify elected officials,” McCullough added, comparing the January 6 attack to domestic terrorism.
Proud Boys, who were founded during President Donald Trump’s first campaign for office, were urged by him to “stand back and standby” during a presidential debate.
Numerous Proud Boys participated in the riot on the Capitol, and federal investigators cracked down on them afterward. Enrique Tarrio, a Miami native and the former leader of the group, was found guilty of seditious conspiracy along with three of his lieutenants for their role in the attack. Authorities have also either charged or questioned dozens of other members.
It is possible that the group had no intention of attending a Miami event or that they have simply had enough of backing Trump and dealing with the fallout. Some high-ranking Proud Boys also disavowed the former president in the wake of the violence at the Capitol, accusing him of abandoning them while they were out on a limb.
The Department of Justice has charged more than 1,100 people in connection with the Capitol attack. Meanwhile, Trump faces separate conspiracy charges for his role in attempting to overturn President Joe Biden’s election victory.
