Proud Boys Leader Henry "Enrique" Tarrio was reportedly sentenced to a nine-month imprisonment for burning a church banner and for possession of high-powered firearms prior to the January 6 U.S. Capitol riot when he returned to Washington.
Tarrio's sentence was announced by Metropolitan Police Department Chief Robert Contee III and Acting U.S. Attorney Channing Philips.
As per the Christian Headlines, the 37-year-old Tarrio burned last December the Black Lives Matter banner of the Asbury United Methodist Church in Washington, which was a historic Black church founded in 1836.
Religion News explained that the Proud Boys was one of those who rallied on December 12 in line with the string of protests held due to the 2020 Presidential Elections results. The Proud Boys were reported to promise to "take this city's streets back" and later that evening did so when violence occurred.
Video on the incident showed the Proud Boys in their renowned black and yellow clothing tearing down signages that included those of the Black Lives Matter slogan in multiple churches in DC. The video also showed the Proud Boys in a tussle with counter protesters.
"In the days that followed, Tarrio admitted to burning the banner on social media and in comments to numerous media outlets," revealed the United States Attorney's Office District of Columbia statement on Tarrio's sentence.
"Tarrio returned to the District of Columbia from Florida on Jan. 4, 2021, and he was arrested on a warrant charging him with the Dec. 12, 2020, destruction of property offense. In a search of his book bag, conducted at the time of his arrest, police recovered two high-capacity firearm magazines. Each magazine bars the insignia of the "Proud Boys." In an interview with police, Tarrio told detectives that he had intended to transfer the magazines to a customer who was also going to be present in the District of Columbia," it continued.
Tarrio, who describes himself as a "Republican Candidate for Florida's 27th Congressional District" and a "#MAGA" in his Twitter bio, initially declared he was "damn proud" of burning the BLM sign. But Tarrio changed his demeanor in court where he admitted what he did was a "grave mistake" that he is "profusely" sorry for. Tarrio pleaded guilty in of the District of Columbia's Superior Court last July 19 for the said signage's destruction and for the "large-capacity ammunition" firearms he was found to possess during his arrest.
However, Superior Court Judge Harold Cushenberry Jr. sentenced Tarrio to 155 days in jail on August 23 since he "did not credibly express genuine remorse." Originally, Tarrio was sentenced 90 days for destruction of property and another 150 days for the ammunition but was dispensed of some days following a particular condition of three years probation.
"The Honorable Harold L. Cushenberry, Jr. sentenced Tarrio to 90 days of jail on the destruction of property charge and 150 days in jail on the ammunition offense; the judge suspended all but 155 days of that time on the condition that Tarrio successfully complete three years of probation. Tarrio also must pay $1,000 in fines, as well as $347 in restitution to the church. Tarrio is to begin serving his sentence in two weeks," the United States Attorney's Office District of Columbia said.
The Proud Boys is said to be one of the militia groups labeled by the government as "most responsible for planning and executing" the January 6 riot. There were actually seven Proud Boys present at the U.S. Capitol on that day and were arrested for it, wherein one even testified that Trump ordered them to do so. The said testimony was used during Trump's second impeachment trial where he was eventually acquitted.
The FBI recently cleared President Trump and his supporters, including the Proud Boys, for the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, stressing that there is not enough evidence to prove that they indeed were the ones behind the chaotic event. Previous reports seem to indicate that others are behind it.
