The prison sentence is among the longest handed down yet for any of the hundreds of defendants convicted in connection with the Capitol riot.
WASHINGTON — Zach Rehl, president of the Philadelphia chapter of the alt-right Proud Boys, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison Thursday for his role in fomenting the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.
S. Capitol. The punishment — handed down at the conclusion of a two hour hearing in Washington, D.C. — fell just shy of the longest prison term imposed against any of the hundreds of people sentenced in connection with the riot so far. It is exceeded only by the 17-year sentence U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly gave to Rehl’s codefendant — Joseph Biggs, a Proud Boy leader from Florida — who was sentenced earlier in the day and theStill, the sentence Rehl ultimately received was half the three-decade prison term prosecutors sought for what they described as “an effort to change the course of American history” and impose their will on the government by force.Rehl, choking back tears, described Jan. 6 as a “despicable day,” apologized to his family and disavowed any involvement in politics in the future. “I’m done with all of it,” he told the judge. “I’m done with politics. I’m done peddling lies for other people who don’t care about me.” Thursday’s hearings for Rehl and Biggs came three months after a federal jury convicted them and two other leaders of the Proud Boys on seditious conspiracy, concluding that they spearheaded a plan that threatened the peaceful transition of presidential power by riling up the mob that disrupted Congress’ certification of President Joe Biden’s victory.This is a developing story and will be updated.
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