Four Proud Boy leaders convicted of seditious conspiracy are among them hundreds of capitol rebels who will be released after the pardon and commutation of sentence issued by newly opened president Donald Trump.
Enrique Tarrio, who was the leader far right gang at the time of the rebellion four years ago, was sentenced to 22 years behind bars – the longest sentence anyone has received on January 6. He was pardoned. His co-defendants Zachary Rehl, Joseph Biggs and Ethan Nordean, who were previously sentenced to 15, 17 and 18 years respectively, had their sentences commuted and were ordered released as of Monday.
Tarrio’s mother, Zuny Duarte, told WIRED that Enrique will be back in Miami by 3 p.m. Tuesday. He is serving time at a federal prison in Pollock, Louisiana.
Trump issued 14 commutations and issued a blanket pardon for all other individuals convicted in connection with the Capitol riots. A total of around 1,580 people have been charged with crimes related to January 6.
“These people are destroyed, what they did to these people is outrageous, there’s rarely been anything like it in the history of this country,” Trump said on Jan. 6 from the Oval Office. He also floated conspiracy theories that “outside agitators” and the FBI were somehow responsible for the violence that occurred on January 6. Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes, who was also convicted of seditious conspiracy, also had his sentence commuted and will walk free.
Trump teased the upcoming pardons from his event earlier Monday at Capital One Arena, promising the imminent release of the “J6 hostages.”
“Oh, you’ll be happy reading the paper tomorrow and the day after tomorrow and the next day,” he said.
Duarte told WIRED by phone earlier Monday that they expected Enrique’s release. “The guys 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 accused and on the wrong side of things.”
Asked if Tarrio was still involved with the Proud Boys, Duarte replied, “That’s a question you have to ask him when he’s out there.”
Before Trump even put ink to paper, news broke that prisons had begun processing the 6th. January for his release began to spread on the Internet. Social media accounts linked to the Proud Boys were jubilant, with Gavin McInnes, who founded the Proud Boys in 2016, announcing “Boys’ Party” on a livestream of his show as he collected donations to support freed gang members.
As an act on the first day, it was strikingly symbolic. Four years ago on January 6, 2021, thousands of Trump supporters fueled by conspiracy theories about the 2020 election came to DC and besieged the Capitol with the goal of preventing a peaceful transfer of power. The ugly scenes culminated in the death of five people, more than 140 police officers were injured, and Trump left Washington in disgrace.
A few weeks later, Joe Biden was sworn in as the 46th president of the United States behind riot barriers, barbed wire and in front of more than 25,000 National Guard members.