Two former Proud Boys were sentenced today in Washington DC and one got an extreme sentence of 18 years. The other got a less extreme, but still extreme sentence of 10 years.
Here’s more via ABC News:
Two former members of the far-right Proud Boys extremist group were sentenced Friday for their roles in the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol — one of whom received a sentence that is tied for the longest in the Jan. 6 cases.
U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly sentenced Ethan Nordean to 18 years in prison; former Proud Boy Dominic Pezzola was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Nordean’s sentence is tied for the longest for any defendant charged in connection with the Capitol attack. Oath Keepers leader Stewart Rhodes was sentenced to 18 years in prison in May.
The reason for the 18-year prison term? The judge labeled their crimes as “acts of terrorism”:
In handing down the sentences for both Nordean and Pezzola, Judge Kelly accepted the government’s recommendation to apply an enhancement that effectively labeled their crimes as acts of terrorism in seeking to influence the actions of government through threats and use of force.
Prosecutors said both Nordean and Pezzola led rioters to the Capitol on Jan. 6 and engaged in acts that allowed the crowd to proceed: Nordean tore down fences, which allowed the first wave of rioters to continue advancing, and Pezzola used a stolen police riot shield to break through a window at the Capitol, allowing rioters to breach the building.
In addition to tearing down the fence that allowed fellow rioters to march toward the Capitol, Nordean — a leader in the Proud Boys organization — actively recruited men for Jan. 6 who “were prepared to engage in physical violence, if necessary,” according to the sentencing memo.
Unbelievable. Since when is tearing down fences and breaking windows worthy of these profound life-changing sentences? Sure, Nordean recruited to get people at the Capitol. But did he assault or harm a police officer or anyone else for that matter? No, he didn’t. It was mainly a ‘seditious conspiracy’ charge that was trumped up to ‘acts of terrorism’ and a ‘few other felonies’.
I would imagine his attorney is going to appeal and he absolutely should. These sentences are outrageous considering what happened that day.