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The former chairman of the Proud Boys, who is serving 22 years in federal prison after being convicted of seditious conspiracy following the Jan. 6 Capitol riots, has requested a pardon from President-elect Donald Trump.
42-year-old Henry “Enrique” Tarrio was found guilty of seditious conspiracy in May of 2023, along with three other members of the Proud Boys, a far-right militant organization, who were involved in the attacks on the US Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
Tarrio’s lawyer, Nayib Hassan, wrote a letter addressed to the President-elect in which he requests a “a full and complete Presidential Pardon” for his client.
Hassan referred to Tarrio as “young man with an aspiring future ahead of him” who was “portrayed throughout the Government’s case as a right-wing extremist that promoted a neo-fascist militant organization.”
In reality, Hassan claims, Tarrio is “nothing more than a proud American that believes in true conservative values.”
Tarrio received the longest sentence of those associated with the Jan. 6 attack to date, having to serve 22 years in federal prison. However, he was not physically present in Washington on the day of the riots. He was convicted of assisting with planning the assault in the months leading up to Jan. 6, later being arrested and ordered to stay out of the city.
Hassan placed much of the blame on Trump during Tarrio’s trial, pointing at statements made by the former President that were intended to incite violence and mobilize his supporters. He brought up how Trump told his supporters to “fight like hell” or they weren’t “going to have a country anymore”.
“Granting this pardon would allow Henry to reintegrate into a family that is extremely supportive and would further demonstrate commitment to lawful, peaceful, and constructive contributions. It would also enable him to support his family fully and contribute meaningfully to the community,” Hassan continued.
Originally published by Latin Times.
