Proud Boys leader Joseph Biggs has 17 years to think about his role in the infamous Capitol attack.
On Thursday, Biggs was handed down the lengthy sentence for leading the right-wing group during the January 6, 2021, riot. Five people died that day, including Capitol Police Brian D. Sicknick, who was struck in the head with a fire extinguisher and bear maced by Trump supporters. Biggs ran the Florida division of the association, and leading up to the massive invasion, he encouraged other Proud Boys members to “get radical.” While at the Capitol, he helped organize the security breach, breaking down a fence, which allowed him and other agitators to enter the Senate chamber. In the days that followed, he recorded an interview calling the riot a “warning shot to the government.”
Prosecutors initially asked for 33 years behind bars after Biggs was convicted in May, alongside Proud Boys national chairman Enrique Tarrio and members Ethan Nordean, Zachary Rehl, and Dominic Pezzola, who was the only one of the four acquitted of seditious conspiracy. However, he was found guilty of several other charges related to the January 6th events, including robbery involving government property, NPR reports.
Biggs pleaded with Judge Timothy J. Kelly to grant him a light sentence. However, Kelly’s actions warranted such punishment. In addition to his years behind bars, Biggs must complete three years of probation and is prohibited from having any contact with the Proud Boys or other right-wingers.
