Capitol Siege Sentences: Proud Boys Leaders Biggs and Rehl Handed 17 and 15 Years for Seditious Conspiracy

Joseph Biggs and Zachary Rehl, former Proud Boys leaders, were sentenced to 17 and 15 years in jail for their actions in the Jan. 6 Capitol attack. They were found guilty of seditious conspiracy, a rare offense with a 20-year sentence.

Capitol Siege Sentences: Proud Boys Leaders Biggs and Rehl Handed 17 and 15 Years for Seditious Conspiracy (Photo: Rolling Stone)

How They Planned and Executed the Assault

The proof shown in court showed that Biggs and Rehl were among the people who planned for the Proud Boys to attend the rally on January 6 that led up to the Capitol storm. They told other members of the group to wear tactical gear and bring weapons while talking to each other on social media and encrypted message apps.

When the attack happened, Biggs and Rehl led a big group of Proud Boys to the Capitol grounds, where they broke through the police barriers and fought with police officers. Then, they broke a window and went inside the building to join the crowd that was blocking the confirmation of the 2020 presidential election results.

Huggs and Rehl were caught in January and February. Since then, they have been in jail. They said they weren’t guilty and that they were just using their First Amendment rights to do what Trump told his supporters to do, which was to “fight like hell” to get the election thrown out.

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The Judge’s Rationale and the Prosecutors’ Appeal

U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly, who presided over the trial, imposed the sentences on Thursday, saying that Biggs and Rehl committed “grave crimes” that threatened the foundations of American democracy. He also applied a terrorism enhancement to their sentences, finding that they intended to influence the government through intimidation or coercion.

Although the judge wanted 33 years for Biggs and 30 years for Rehl as the highest sentence, the judge did not hand them down. He said he decided to release them because they were in the military, had no criminal records, and were sorry.

There was an appeal on Monday because the prosecutors did not agree with the judge’s ruling. They said the sentences were too light and did not reflect how serious the crime was. In the Jan. 6 case, they said that Biggs and Rehl were two of the most guilty offenders and should have been punished more harshly.

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