Proud dude sentenced to 17 years.

A leader of the far-right Proud Boys has been sentenced to 17 years in prison, one of the longest terms yet handed out over the US Capitol riot. US Army veteran Joe Biggs, 38, was an instigator of the storming of Congress on 6 January 2021, prosecutors said.

Another Proud Boys member, Zachary Rehl, was sentenced on Thursday to 15 years, also on a charge of seditious conspiracy. Rehl, a former US Marine and leader of the Philadelphia branch of the Proud Boys, was seen on video spraying a chemical irritant at officers outside the Capitol during the riot.

Biggs was convicted of a slew of charges in May, including seditious conspiracy, intimidation or threats to prevent officials from discharging their duties, and interference with law enforcement during civil disorder.

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In court, federal prosecutor Jason McCullough said the crimes were “very serious” and that a stiff sentence would send a message ahead of next year’s presidential election. “There is a reason why we will hold our collective breaths as we approach future elections… They pushed this to the edge of a constitutional crisis,” he said.

Prosecutors used text messages, social media posts and videos to show that the Proud Boys were involved in a co-ordinated effort to stop the certification of the 2020 election at the Capitol.

It wasn’t just playacting, it wasn’t just boys getting a little overexcited, it was the real thing. It could happen again. It could succeed this time.