Proud Boys leader Henry “Enrique” Tarrio will be sentenced in DC Superior Court at 2 PM Monday for two charges to which he pleaded guilty last month: Attempted possession of high-capacity magazines, and destruction of property. The latter charge relates to the December 12 pro-Trump rally, when members of Tarrio’s group assaulted Washingtonians and ripped banners from local churches. Tarrio admitted to destroying a banner stolen from Asbury United Methodist Church, though he claimed he didn’t know that’s where it came from.
The Department of Justice asked the court Friday to sentence Tarrio to three months in prison and to pay more than $5,000 to cover the church’s security since the incident. Tarrio’s plea agreement with the government notes that each charge carries a potential sentence of 180 days imprisonment and a $1,000 fine.
DC Police arrested Tarrio on the property destruction charge on January 4 as he entered DC in advance of the deadly January 6 riot at the US Capitol, during which cops said they found the magazines. Tarrio said he planned to sell the magazines, which are illegal in the District. The arrest was an attempt to dampen his influence over the Proud Boys on January 6, the government said the following week. The next month, Reuters reported that Tarrio had been a “prolific” informant for the FBI in years past, a revelation that reportedly caused a rift among members of the group.
Andrew Beaujon joined Washingtonian in late 2014. He was previously with the Poynter Institute, TBD.com, and Washington City Paper. He lives in Del Ray.
