Five Proud Boys, including a former chairman, have been indicted.
Members of the far-right Proud Boys extremist group, including their former chairman, were charged with seditious conspiracy in relation to the January 6 Capitol riot.
According to AP news, federal prosecutors are saying the Proud Boys had a hand in the January 6 incident, and believe that it was a coordinated attack to stop President Biden's win from being certified.
Former Proud Boys chairman, Henry “Enrique” Tarrio, alongside four others linked to the group have been indicted.
Previously, the group members — Ethan Nordean, Joseph Biggs, Zachary Rehl, Dominic Pezzola, and Tarrio — were charged with different counts of conspiracy, according to the AP.
Presently, it is alleged that these Proud Boys conspired to, "forcibly oppose the lawful transfer of presidential power," according to the outlet.
While Tarrio was not in town during the riots, authorities say that he had a hand in implementing the violence that ensued.
Allegedly, the Proud Boys held meetings and communicated over encrypted messages to plan for the attack in the days prior to January 6, according to the outlet.
On the day of the riot, Proud Boys allegedly dismantled metal barricades set up to protect the Capitol and mobilized, directed, and led members of the crowd into the building, according to authorities.
Prosecutors believe that the Proud Boys arranged for members to communicate on Baofeng radios. The Chinese-made devices can be programmed for use on hundreds of frequencies, which can make it difficult for outsiders to eavesdrop, according to the AP.
In Washington two days before the riot, Tarrio was arrested and charged with vandalizing a Black Lives Matter banner at a historic Black church during a protest in December 2020.
After five months, Tarrio was released from jail on January 14 after serving a sentence in that case.
The U.S. House committee continues to investigate the January 6 riot, preparing public hearings this week to showcase the findings. The group is scheduled to stand trial in August in Washington, D.C, accorinding to the Post.
An attorney for Tarrio said his client “is going to have his day in court,” according to the AP.
“And we intend to vigorously represent him through that process,” said Nayib Hassan.
