US "Proud Boys" leaders face sedition charge
The former leader of the right-wing group the Proud Boys, Enrique Tarrio, and four associates were charged with seditious conspiracy on Monday for their role in the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol by Donald Trump's supporters. Federal prosecutors accused the five men of plotting the attack in advance and encouraging other Trump supporters to prevent Congress from certifying his 2020 election defeat by Democrat Joe Biden. Thousands of Trump's supporters stormed the Capitol that day after a fiery speech in which he repeated his false claims that his loss was result of widespread fraud, an allegation repeatedly rejected by multiple courts, state election officials and members of Trump's own administration. Eleven members of another right-wing group, the Oath Keepers, were charged in January with seditious conspiracy for allegedly playing a similar leadership role in the deadly attack. Federal prosecutors rarely use the seditious conspiracy charge, defined as attempting "to overthrow, put down or to destroy by force the government of the United States." It carries a sentence of up to 20 years in prison. Federal prosecutors investigating the attack filed the new charges against Tarrio, Dominic Pezzola, Ethan Nordean, Joe Biggs and Zachary Rehl, according to court papers. All five have pleaded not guilty to other criminal charges related to the attack. The new indictment accuses them of encouraging other Proud Boys to come to Washington on January 6, 2021; raising money to buy bulletproof vests and other tactical gear; and directing crowd members into the Capitol and assaulting police once the attack was underway. It said Tarrio received a document titled "1776 returns" that laid out plans to occupy buildings in the Capitol complex three days before the attack.  About 800 people have been charged with taking part in the Capitol riot, with about 250 guilty pleas so far. (Reuters)