Decorated military veteran and Proud Boys leader Joe Biggs sentenced to 17 years in prison over J6 involvement

By arseniotoledo // 2023-09-01

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Decorated United States Army veteran and former Proud Boys organizer and leader Joseph "Joe" Biggs has been sentenced by a federal judge to 17 years in prison for his involvement in the Jan. 6, 2021 rally at the Capitol. The 17-year prison sentence for Biggs is the second-longest sentence handed down yet in connection to the events on Jan. 6 at the Capitol. U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly found Biggs guilty of seditious conspiracy and obstructing Congress' certification of President Joe Biden's supposed victory in the 2020 elections. Prosecutors initially recommended that Biggs receive 33 years in prison for allegedly being the leader of the Proud Boys members who went to the Capitol on Jan. 6 and for allegedly breaching police lines and removing a black metal fence. Biggs, 39, was previously convicted in May on several charges, including conspiracy to use force, intimidation or threats to prevent officers of the U.S. from discharging their duties, interference with law enforcement during civil disorder and destruction of government property. (Related: Here's more PROOF that the January 6 "insurrection" was a staged INSIDE JOB from the very beginning.) He was convicted along with fellow Proud Boys members Enrique Tarrio, Ethan Nordean, Zachary Rehl and Dominic Pezzola, all of whom, except for Pezzola, were convicted of seditious conspiracy. Rehl received the third-longest prison sentence connected to J6 of 15 years. After Biggs completes his 17-year sentence in the year 2040, he will also be placed on supervised release for 36 months.

Judge claims Biggs guilty of "terrorism"

Upon the request of the prosecution, Kelly agreed that the case against Biggs qualifies him for a "terrorism" sentencing enhancement, all because of Biggs' supposed role in moving a fence at the Capitol that allowed other J6 protesters to move through police lines and into the Capitol. "I've reviewed the evidence of Mr. Biggs' calculation and deliberation in taking down that fence," said Kelly during the sentencing hearing. "When that fence came down it facilitated the mob in overwhelming law enforcement, entering the Capitol and eventually halting the proceedings." The terrorism enhancement to Biggs' sentence – which was also applied to Rehl's sentence – is the cause for his vastly increased prison time. Defense attorney Norman Pattis, who represented Biggs, described the terrorism-enhanced sentence as "shocking" and a "grotesque overreach" that is designed to chill all dissent. "The defendants are not terrorists," wrote Pattis. "Whatever excess of zeal they demonstrated on Jan. 6, 2021, and no matter how grave the potential interference with the orderly transfer of power due to the events of that day, a decade or more behind bars is an excessive punishment." Addressing Kelly during the sentencing hearing, Pattis added that the fence's destruction was simply a "means to an end." "What happened here? A $32,000 fence was an obstacle to the Capitol," argued Pattis. "No serious person here will argue destroying the fence was meant to influence (the) government. It was a means to an end." At the end of his sentencing, Biggs spoke with regret, saying that he respects the process despite not agreeing with being called a terrorist, and fearing for what will happen to his daughter while he is in prison since the daughter was in the past sexually assaulted by a member of the family. "I apologize for my rhetoric," said a tearful Biggs. "I'm so sorry." "I was seduced by the crowd, and I just moved forward. I was curious. I wanted to see what would happen. My curiosity got the best of me, and I'm going to have to live with that for the rest of my life," he added. "[But] I'm not a terrorist. I don't have hate in my heart." Watch this video from "TNP" discussing the time when the Proud Boys members were found guilty back in May of seditious conspiracy in relation to the events of Jan. 6. This video is from the channel TNP (The New Prisoners) on Brighteon.com.

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Judge claims Biggs guilty of "terrorism"

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