The Justice Department appealed the sentences imposed on five Proud Boys members, The Hill reports. The appeal, including the group's former leader, Enrique Tarrio, aims at securing stiffer penalties for those convicted for their role in the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. Tarrio, Ethan Nordean, Joseph Biggs, and Zachary Rehl were convicted of seditious conspiracy, while Dominic Pezzola was found guilty of other charges. While each of the four men convicted of seditious conspiracy received sentences of at least 15 years in prison, with Tarrio sentenced to 22 years, many of the terms fell below what prosecutors sought.
The move falls in line with the way the Justice Department handled other seditious conspiracy cases, including sentences handed down for members of the Oath Keepers, with prosecutors likewise appealing sentences for members of the far-right militia group. Prosecutors requested 33 years in prison for Tarrio, whom they labeled as the driving force of a plot to stop the transfer of power from then-President Trump to then-President-elect Biden. Tarrio’s attorneys recommended a sentence of no more than 15 years in prison and argued against the use of a terrorism enhancement in deciding punishment. Ultimately, U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly did apply a terrorism adjustment to Tarrio’s sentencing guidelines, but did not grant the full sentence sought by prosecutors.
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