Two former leaders of the far-right group Proud Boys, Joseph Biggs and Zachary Rehl, were sentenced to prison on Friday for their role in the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Biggs and Rehl pleaded guilty in August to conspiracy charges, admitting that they planned and coordinated with other Proud Boys members to breach the Capitol and obstruct the certification of the 2020 presidential election results.
Biggs, 37, of Florida, was sentenced to 63 months in prison, while Rehl, 36, of Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 60 months. Both men will also serve three years of supervised release and pay $2,000 in restitution. They are among the first defendants to be sentenced for conspiracy charges related to the Capitol riot, which involved hundreds of supporters of former President Donald Trump.
Judge Rejects Defense Arguments for Leniency
U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Kelly rejected the defense arguments that Biggs and Rehl deserved leniency because they did not engage in violence or damage property during the riot. Kelly said that their leadership roles in the Proud Boys and their efforts to recruit and mobilize others for the attack made them more culpable than other rioters.
Kelly also noted that Biggs and Rehl showed no remorse or acceptance of responsibility for their actions, and that they continued to espouse extremist views after the riot. He said that their sentences should serve as a deterrent for future acts of domestic terrorism.
“The defendants’ actions on Jan. 6 were an affront to our democracy and a threat to our national security,” Kelly said. “They undermined the peaceful transfer of power that is the hallmark of our constitutional system.”
Prosecutors Say Biggs and Rehl Were Key Players in the Riot
Prosecutors said that Biggs and Rehl were key players in the riot, leading a large group of Proud Boys members who wore tactical gear and communicated via radios. They said that Biggs and Rehl helped breach a police barricade on the west side of the Capitol, allowing hundreds of rioters to enter the building.
Prosecutors also said that Biggs and Rehl coordinated with other Proud Boys leaders, such as Ethan Nordean and Dominic Pezzola, who are also facing conspiracy charges. They said that Biggs and Rehl followed a plan devised by Nordean to split the Proud Boys into different teams and target different entrances of the Capitol.
“Biggs and Rehl were not mere followers who joined in a spontaneous outburst of violence; they were leaders who planned, intended, and brought about a grave attack on our democracy,” prosecutors wrote in their sentencing memo.
Defense Lawyers Say Biggs and Rehl Were Misled by Trump
Defense lawyers said that Biggs and Rehl were misled by Trump, who repeatedly lied about the election being stolen and urged his supporters to “fight like hell” on Jan. 6. They said that Biggs and Rehl believed they were acting patriotically and lawfully by following Trump’s instructions.
Defense lawyers also said that Biggs and Rehl did not intend to harm anyone or overthrow the government, and that they cooperated with law enforcement after their arrests. They said that Biggs and Rehl have suffered personal and professional consequences for their involvement in the riot, such as losing their jobs and receiving death threats.
“Biggs and Rehl are not monsters, but decent men who made a terrible mistake,” defense lawyers wrote in their sentencing memo.