Former Proud Boys leader jailed awaiting trial on charges of conspiring with other members of far-right extremist group to attack US Capitol and prevent Congress from certifying Joe Biden’s presidential victory , a federal judge has ruled.
Henry “Enrique” Tarrio poses a danger to the public that cannot be mitigated by house arrest and a ban on using social media, U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly said in an order issued Friday night.
Tarrio, a South Florida resident, has been jailed since his arrest on March 8, a day after he was charged with conspiracy. A Miami federal magistrate had previously ordered his remand in custody.
Tarrio and other Proud Boys leaders used encrypted channels, social media, and other electronic communications to plan and carry out a plot to storm the Capitol on January 6, 2021, and to interfere with Electoral College Congress’ certification of the vote. , according to the indictment. .
Tarrio asked Kelly to order her release on bail, but the judge denied the request. Kelly said the evidence against Tarrio is “very strong” despite Tarrio’s argument that authorities essentially do not have “a smoking gun” against him, “perhaps in the form of direct evidence of a Tarrio order to others. boys proud to storm the Capitol. ” ”
Tarrio was not in Washington when the uprising broke out. Police had arrested Tarrio in the District of Columbia two days before the riot and accused him of vandalizing a Black Lives Matter banner in a historic black church during a protest in December 2020. A judge ordered Tarrio to stay out of the country’s capital.
Before leaving Washington, Tarrio met with Oath Keepers founder and leader Elmer “Stewart” Rhodes and others in an underground parking lot for about 30 minutes, according to authorities. Rhodes and several other members or associates of the anti-government militia group Oath Keepers are accused of seditious conspiracy in the attack on the Capitol.
A documentary filmmaker recorded part of the garage meeting.
“But not much can be said about the substance of the clip meeting; at some point, Tarrio and others call for the filmmaker to stop,” Kelly told his order.
Tarrio claims to have resigned as national president of Proud Boys.
Five more men linked to the Proud Boys – Ethan Nordean, Joseph Biggs, Zachary Rehl, Charles Donohoe and Dominic Pezzola – were charged in the same March 7 indictment as Tarrio.
Donohoe, 34, of Kernersville, North Carolina, pleaded guilty in April to conspiracy and assault charges and has agreed to cooperate in Justice Department cases against other members of Proud Boys.
Nordean, Biggs, Rehl and Pezzola are also still in jail awaiting trial in August.
Nordean, of Auburn, Washington, was president of the Proud Boys chapter. Biggs, of Ormond Beach, Florida, has been described as a Proud Boys organizer. Rehl was president of the Proud Boys chapter in Philadelphia. The indictment describes Pezzola, of Rochester, New York, as a member of her local Proud Boys chapter.
Tarrio tried to contact Nordean and Biggs by phone as the two men entered and left the Capitol, the indictment says.