Proud Boys leader to be sentenced as FBI searches for Jan. 6 fugitives

Enrique Tarrio, the former leader of the Proud Boys, was set to be sentenced for seditious conspiracy related to the Jan. 6 Capitol riots on Tuesday, Sept. 5. He was one of four Proud Boys members who were convicted of sedition back in May. The other three received sentences of 15-18 years in prison last week.

“Well, obviously the sentences were significant and that’s disappointing. But they were half of what the government asked for, and so even at sentencing, our view is the government overreached. The case was overcharged,” Norm Pattis, the defense attorney for one of Proud Boys members, said Thursday, Aug. 31. “The government sought to make a point, and it did. These men will suffer for many years behind bars. And we’re very, very much looking forward to the appellate process in this case. I like their odds greatly. I like these guys greatly.”

Tarrio wasn’t in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021. However, prosecutors said he encouraged and help put in motion the violence on that day.

The former leader of the Proud Boys was set to be sentenced as the FBI looks to apprehend Jan. 6 defendants who have become fugitives after their arrests or initial court appearances. Of the roughly 1,100 criminal defendants, at least six became — or were — fugitives over the course of the summer of 2023.

Four of the fugitives are from of the Tampa, Florida, area. All four are being pursued. Lucius Outlaw, a Howard University associate law professor and former federal defender, said they will face increased penalties once they’re captured.

“If you’re going to run, you can get hit with additional charges on top of their charges you’re already facing,” Outlaw told CBS News. ” If you’re convicted, the judge is certainly going to take into account that you did not appear in court when you were supposed to and had to be called into court by the U.S. Marshals.”