Obviously I’ll have a lot to report on what just happened in Proud Boys sentencing but I’m still in shock after hearing an assistant US Attorney straining to compare shaking part of a metal fence to a mass causality event to justify terrorism enhancement.
~ Julie Kelly
Joseph Biggs , convicted of “seditious conspiracy,” was sentenced to 17 years on Thursday. The prosecutor wanted him sentenced to 33 years in prison. The sentence is extreme because they are not Democrats.
CBS describes former Proud Boys member Joseph Biggs as a “top lieutenant” as if he was leading a mob syndicate.
Joseph Biggs of Florida was the first of the Proud Boys co-defendants — including Tarrio — to be sentenced after a jury found them guilty of numerous felony counts tied to the riot.
Biggs was also convicted of additional charges, including conspiring to obstruct Congress and civil disorder, but was acquitted on other accusations, including assaulting officers and destruction of government property.
Judge Tim Kelly just made destruction of part of a temporary metal fence on govt property a federal crime of terrorism. Said removal of fence was part of the Proud Boys “conspiracy” to “influence the conduct of government.” This dramatically increases base level of jail time for Joe Biggs and Kelly no doubt will do the same for the other Proud Boys. Knew it was coming but still flabbergasted.
Julie Kelly tweeted from the court
They had a terrorism enhancement added because they are Trump supporters. This is what they plan to do to Donald Trump who faces 770 years in prison.
JOSEPH BIGGS’ COMMENTS
Speaking to the court on Thursday, Biggs told the judge he was not violent and apologized for his violent rhetoric.
“I’m not a terrorist,” Biggs said, adding, “I’m so sorry,” as he spoke through tears, explaining he wanted to be home to care for his daughter.
“When Jan. 6 came up, that was my last time ever going out with the Proud Boys…I was going to announce to the group that I’m done,” he added.
“I know that I have to be punished, and I understand,” Biggs conceded.
The group was accused of forming a Ministry of Self-Defense (MOSD) structure with Tarrio at the top, commanding a group of leaders who would strategize their presence at Trump’s Jan. 6 rally. Biggs and co-defendants Zachary Rehl and Ethan Nordean were part of that group. Dominic Pezzola, the only defendant to be acquitted of seditious conspiracy, was not an MOSD member.
Tarrio was not present in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6, but Biggs, Rehl, Nordean, and Pezzola gathered with over 100 Proud Boys at the Washington Monument and, according to prosecutors, marched toward the Capitol.
“We’ve taken the Capitol,” Biggs said on the Capitol’s west front, according to trial evidence, as Pezzola grabbed a law enforcement riot shield and used it to break a window on the Senate side of the building.
“Biggs acted as the tip of the spear throughout the attack on January 6,” the government wrote, “He was among the first wave across the First Street barrier, he tore down the fence at Breach 2, he repositioned himself and charged up the scaffolding at Breach 3, and he was among the first rioters into the Capitol at Breach 4.”
TERRORISM ENHANCEMENTS
Prosecutors had asked the judge to apply a terrorism-related sentencing enhancement when he calculated the defendants’ punishment because — they argued — the group tried to influence the government through intimidation or coercion.
“The defendants are not terrorists,” Biggs’ defense team shot back in court filings, “Whatever excesses of zeal they demonstrated on January 6, 2021, and no matter how grave the potential interference with the orderly transfer of power due to the events of that day, a decade or more behind bars is an excessive punishment.”
The Proud Boys defendants plan to appeal their convictions in the case.
These men are not terrorists. “Biden’s DOJ and DC judges are manipulating to turn nonviolent offenses like obstruction of an official proceeding into federal terrorism crimes,” as Julie Kelly said.
This is the provision in the federal sentencing guidance that Biden's DOJ and DC judges are manipulating to turn nonviolent offenses like obstruction of an official proceeding into federal terrorism crimes.
Extremely dangerous precedent and Congress has no clue. pic.twitter.com/SSZcDwWiix
— Julie Kelly 🇺🇸 (@julie_kelly2) August 31, 2023
They also put a grandma in prison for 15 months after she paraded around. The court claims she is a terrorist. She did nothing violent.
Waiting for GOP leaders to condemn Democrat DC judge for sentencing 61-year-old grandma from Florida to 15 months after DC jury convicted her of nonviolent offenses for J6.
Connie Meggs spent 45 days in jail after her arrest then 2 1/2 years in home detention with ankle monitor pic.twitter.com/7MnN3Ue8EC
— Julie Kelly 🇺🇸 (@julie_kelly2) August 31, 2023
Wake me when conservatives decide to fight back.