May 28 (Reuters) – A judge has denied the latest request from Enrique Tarrio, the former leader of the right-wing group Proud Boys, to be released from prison pending trial on charges related to the attack on last year at the US Capitol.
In an order issued Friday night, U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly said the evidence against Tarrio is “very strong” and that measures such as house arrest and confinement “do not adequately mitigate the threat of danger that represents Tarrio “.
Kelly said Tarrio “has the skills, resources and networks to plan for challenges similar to the legal operation of the U.S. government in the future.”
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A Florida judge previously denied Tarrio’s request for parole, which is common in the U.S. legal system because of the presumption of innocence given to people charged with crimes. Tarrio asked Kelly to review the Florida judge’s order.
Tarrio is among more than 775 people criminally charged with his role in the Capitol assault by supporters of then-President Donald Trump in an effort to prevent Congress from certifying Joe Biden’s election victory.
Police arrested Tarrio on January 4, 2021 for burning a Black Lives Matter banner in a historic African-American church in December 2020, a charge for which he later served four months in prison.
Prosecutors said Tarrio maintained an active behind-the-scenes leadership role on Jan. 6, urging his followers on social media not to leave the Capitol, and later, in the encrypted chat, told them, ” We did that. “
Tarrio’s lawyer, Nayib Hassan, told reporters in March that Tarrio left Washington, DC on January 5, 2021, a day before the Capitol attack.
“Our estimate for what we’ve reviewed right now is that the evidence is weak,” Hassan said.
Thousands stormed the Capitol that day to try to prevent Congress from certifying the victory of current President Joe Biden over then-President Donald Trump, a Republican. More than 800 face criminal charges.
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Report by Jan Wolfe, Louise Heavens Edition
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