WASHINGTON – The conspiracy trial involving five Proud Boys leaders began in earnest on Thursday with opening statements, where prosecutors framed the street gang as the driving force behind the Jan. 6, 2021, uprising at the US Capitol.
Enrique Tarrio, the long-time leader of the gang, sat in the DC federal court with four co-defendants – Ethan Nordean, Joseph Biggs, Zachary Rehl and Dominic Pezzola – and a small army of defense lawyers and legal assistants, who were prepared to argue that violent acts The Proud Boys at the Capitol were unplanned and constitutionally protected.
All five Bangga boys have pleaded not guilty to various charges, the most serious of which is seditious conspiracy, carrying a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
On Thursday, prosecutors began their opening statements based on the Proud Boys organization, showing how the gang created a new chapter of leadership after the election of President Joe Biden and began preparations for what they see as the final stand for Donald Trump on January 1. 6.
“In the days after the election, these people started calling for action – calling for war – if their favorite candidate was not elected,” Assistant US Attorney Jason McCullough said in court. He showed the jury the infamous clip of President Trump saying, “Proud boy, stand up and stand up” during a presidential debate in September 2020.
“These people didn’t back down, they didn’t quit. Instead, they mobilized,” McCullough said. “They agreed to use any means necessary — including force — to stop congress from certifying the election.”
McCullough shared photos and videos of the gang’s communication and promotional material surrounding the attack, showing how they rallied each other leading up to January 6, and celebrating the brutal exploitation that followed.
They showed a promotional video, shown by Rehl, depicting the Proud Boys brutally attacking people in the street set to music, as a clip of Infowars’ Alex Jones screeching and the words “Fuck Antifa” flashed across the screen. Another message, posted by Tarrio on January 6, read: “Make no mistake, we did this.”
The defendants Proud Boys appeared in suits, and throughout the proceedings they laughed and whispered. Often Tarrio looks into the audience, where his mother, Zuny Duarte, sits along with other Proud Boys supporters.
Also in the audience this week is Randy Ireland, former leader of the Proud Boys from New York who recently rmoved from the courtroom in another January 6 case after shouting at the former Metropolitan Police Officer Michael Fanone in court, calling him a “piece of shit.” Ireland held a notepad with the Proud Boys logo on it, and told HuffPost on Wednesday that he was there to write a news story in support of the gang, which he called “brothers.”
The high-profile case could shed new light on the attack on the Capitol, and the deep ties between the Proud Boys, their extremist allies, and top-level GOP officials and law enforcement.
Multiple Proud Boys are expected to testify in the case, including the defendants themselves and others who have taken plea deals that require them to testify against them. Two Proud Boys – Charles Donohoe and Jeremy Bertino – previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy and seditious conspiracy, respectively, in an offer to cooperate with the government.