A key figure in the far-right movement that played a leading role in the January 6 attack by Trump supporters on the Capitol, “Henry” Tarrio was arrested two days before the event for removing a poster from a church in Washington in December. 12 and burn it, according to the Department of Justice.
A Miami native, he was charged with property destruction, in part because of a photo he posted on social media, posing with a poster and a lighter.
Tarrio was also accused of possession of two illegal carriers of large-capacity firearms in the US capital.
The 37-year-old has organized demonstrations in support of Trump against the Black Lives Matter racial justice protests that rocked the country for much of 2020 after the murder of African Americans by white police.
Late last year, Tarrio mobilized support for the January 6 takeover of the Capitol, when hundreds of Trump supporters, including members of violent right-wing militias such as the Proud Boys, stormed the halls of Congress headquarters to avoid meeting Joe. Biden’s certification as the winner of the presidential election.
“They look at us almost like the soldiers on the right,” Tarrio said in a podcast ahead of January 6. “This is real. We are at war. ” But when Tarrio arrived in Washington two days earlier, he was arrested for the December 12 event and sentenced to be absent from the city until his appearance in court.
In July, he pleaded guilty to charges of a plea bargain and was now sentenced to 155 days in prison, a $ 1,000 fine and $ 347 in church restitution.
Outlined in black and yellow, the proud boys gained prominence when President Trump told them to “step back and wait” during a September 2020 debate with Biden, the then Democratic presidential candidate.
