Joseph Biggs, a Proud Boy member, receives 17-year prison term for Jan. 6 involvement.
Former Proud Boys Leader Sentenced to 17 Years in Prison for Capitol Riot
A former Proud Boys leader, Joseph Biggs, was handed a 17-year prison sentence on Thursday for his involvement in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. While this sentence is one of the highest among the hundreds given out, it falls short of what prosecutors had hoped for.
Biggs, a 39-year-old Army veteran and Purple Heart recipient, was convicted in May, along with three co-defendants, of seditious conspiracy and conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding. Their actions involved leading a group of approximately 200 individuals to breach the Capitol. A fifth co-defendant was acquitted of the seditious conspiracy charge but found guilty of other charges.
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During the sentencing, U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly focused on Biggs’ role in breaking down a fence, which led to enhancements being applied to his sentence. Judge Kelly stated, ”Tearing down that fence was a discreet act that facilitated the crowd’s surge forward” and “was specifically to obstruct the administration of justice.” These enhancements, based on terrorism guidelines, significantly increased the penalty.
Biggs’s attorney, Norm Pattis, raised concerns about the impact of a severe sentence on free speech, highlighting the numerous social media messages Biggs had sent before and after the riot.
When Biggs took the stand, he became tearful, expressing remorse for his actions. He stated, ”I know that I messed up that day, but I’m not a terrorist… I didn’t hurt anybody.” Biggs emphasized his daughter as his top priority and, despite disagreeing with the judge’s determinations, expressed respect for “the process” and “the outcome.”
The sentence is a setback for prosecutors, who had sought a 33-year sentence for Biggs and are pursuing decades-long sentences for the other four defendants. They also sought 25 years for Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes on similar charges. The judge ultimately sentenced Rhodes to 18 years, the highest sentence thus far.
This sentencing follows a four-month trial that included witness testimony from Capitol Police, as well as evidence such as video footage, Telegram messages, and social media posts.
In a sentencing memorandum, prosecutors argued that the defendants’ own words left no doubt about their intentions. They stated, “They unleashed a force on the Capitol that was calculated to exert their political will on elected officials by force and to undo the results of a democratic election. The foot soldiers of the right aimed to keep their leader in power. They failed. They are not heroes; they are criminals.”
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