The Justice Department is seeking 33 years in prison for former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio in January 6 case

The Justice Department is seeking 33 years in prison for Enrique Tarrio, the former leader of the Proud Boys, who was convicted of seditious conspiracy in one of the most serious counts following the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol, according to court documents filed Thursday.

If the sentence is handed down, it would be by far the longest sentence imposed in the massive Jan. 6 indictment.

Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes, who was convicted in another count of seditious conspiracy, has received the longest sentence ever – 18 years.

Tarrio, who once served as the far-right group’s national chairman, and three lieutenants were convicted by a Washington jury in May of conspiring to block the presidential transfer of power in hopes of keeping Republican Donald Trump in the White House after him lost the 2020 election.

Tarrio, who was not present at the Capitol riot himself, was a prime target of what is now the largest Justice Department investigation in American history.

He was leading the neo-fascist group known for street fighting with left-wing activists when Trump infamously told the Proud Boys to “stand back and stand by” during his first debate with Democrat Joe Biden.

During the months-long trial, prosecutors argued that the Proud Boys viewed themselves as foot soldiers fighting for Trump, while the Republican spread lies that the Democrats stole the election from him and were willing to go to war to secure theirs to keep preferred leaders in power.

“They unleashed on the Capitol a force designed to use violence to exercise their political will against elected officials and thwart the results of a democratic election,” prosecutors wrote in their filing. “The foot soldiers of the right wanted to keep their leader in power. They failed. They are not heroes; they are criminals.”

Prosecutors are also seeking a 33-year sentence for one of Tarrio’s co-defendants, Joseph Biggs of Ormond Beach, Fla., who describes himself as the Proud Boys organizer.

They are asking the judge to hand down a 30-year sentence for Zachary Rehl, who was president of the Proud Boys group in Philadelphia; 27 years in prison for Ethan Nordean of Auburn, Washington, who was a chapter president of the Proud Boys; and 20 years for Dominic Pezzola, a Proud Boys member from Rochester, New York.

Pezzola was acquitted of seditious conspiracy but convicted of other serious charges.

Tarrio was not in Washington on Jan. 6, having been arrested on another case two days earlier and expelled from the capital.

However, prosecutors claimed he organized and directed the attack by the Proud Boys, who stormed the Capitol that day.

Defense attorneys argued there was no conspiracy or plan to attack the Capitol and attempted to portray the Proud Boys as a disorganized drinking club whose members had committed an impromptu act in the riot fueled by Trump’s campaign anger.

Tarrio’s lawyers tried to argue that Trump was responsible for admonishing a crowd outside the White House to “fight like hell.”

Lawyers for the Proud Boys say the penalties proposed by prosecutors are extreme.

Noting that the Jan. 6 chaos was fueled by Trump’s false election claims, an attorney for Biggs and Rehl told the judge that “believing the commander in chief and heeding his call should bring some measure of mitigation.” “

“The defendants are not terrorists. Whatever excessive zeal they displayed on January 6, 2021, and however serious the possible interference with the proper transfer of power as a result of the events of that day, a decade or more behind bars is an excessive punishment,” wrote attorney Norm Pattis.

As in the case of Rhodes and other Oath Keepers, prosecutors are asking the judge to use so-called “terrorism amplification” – which can result in a longer prison sentence – arguing that the Proud Boys attempted to influence the government by ” intimidation or coercion.”

US District Judge Amit Mehta agreed with prosecutors that the Oath Keepers’ crimes could be punished as “terrorism,” but still sentenced Rhodes and the others to shorter terms than prosecutors demanded.

Prosecutors had asked Mehta to sentence Rhodes to 25 years in prison.

Miami resident Tarrio and his co-defendants will be convicted before US District Judge Timothy Kelly in a series of hearings beginning later this month in federal court in Washington.

It’s the same courthouse where Trump this month pleaded not guilty to the case brought by Special Counsel Jack Smith, accusing the Republican of plotting illegally to undermine the will of voters and make up for his loss to Biden.

Trump has denied any wrongdoing.

Tarrio and three of his lieutenants were also convicted on two of the same charges Trump faces: obstructing congressional confirmation of Biden’s victory and conspiring to obstruct congress.