Judge revokes bail for Proud Boys leaders involved in Capitol riot
“The defendants stand charged with seeking to steal one of the crown jewels of our country in a sense by interfering with the peaceful transfer of power,” said U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly
It appears two Proud Boys members will spend more time behind bars.
A federal judge on Monday recommended that Ethan Nordean and Joseph Biggs be detained until their trial, according to NPR.
“The defendants stand charged with seeking to steal one of the crown jewels of our country in a sense by interfering with the peaceful transfer of power,” said U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly.
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“I won’t belabor the point, but it’s no exaggeration to say the rule of law, the durability of our constitutional order, and, in the end, the very existence of our republic is threatened by such conduct,” he continued.
Nordean and Biggs are facing six counts related to their alleged involvement in the Capitol insurrection. The charges include obstruction of law enforcement, obstruction of an official proceeding, destruction of government property and conspiracy.
The men were taken into custody after the event, but were eventually released. Now, new information has surfaced. The men allegedly posted on social media and sent encrypted communications about the takeover ahead of the event.
The judge decided to revoke bail due to the severity of their alleged crimes, their leadership roles within the Proud Boys organization and the possibility of them committing further violence.
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Biggs is reportedly a self-described Proud Boys organizer in Florida, while Nordean is allegedly the president of his local Proud Boys chapter in Washington state.
Meanwhile Proud Boys leaders Zach Rehl and Charles Donohoe are also facing the same 6 counts as Nordean and Biggs related to the mob takeover at the Capitol.
Lawmakers were left to barricade themselves in rooms when the angry mob tried to prevent them from certifying the Electoral College vote in favor of President Biden.
Back in February Proud Boys leader, Enrique Tarrio said he didn’t care that the mob terrified Congress.
”I’m not gonna cry about people who don’t give a crap about their constituents. I’m not going to sympathize with them,” said Tarrio to CNN.
“When they support drone-bombing children in the Middle East … [and] those people are dead and they’re just cowering because a group of misfits came into the Capitol, I’m not going to be sympathetic” he added.
He claimed his men were not violent on Jan 6 and are being accused because officials need someone to blame.
“They need a head to roll. They need heads on pikes,” argues Tarrio. “The FBI and the DOJ [are] using the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers as their go-to, to show the people that they did something.”
He added he has come up with a new political strategy: “I think right now is the time to go ahead and overthrow the government by becoming the new government and running for office,” said Tarrio.
Tarrio was not at the Capitol on the day of the riot and had been ordered to stay away after he had been accused of burning a Black Lives Matter flag at a Black church just days before.
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