Members of a far right organization in the United States sentenced to 18 years in prison and participated in the Capitol Hill riots
Ethan Nordian, a member of the American far right organization Pride Boys, was sentenced to 18 years in prison on charges related to the Capitol Hill riot case on the 1st. This sentence, along with another defendant and founder of the far right organization Oath Guardian, Stuart Rhodes, is the heaviest sentence to date in the Capitol Hill riots.
Federal District Judge Timothy Kelly announced the sentencing of Nordian on the same day. The jury previously found Nordian guilty of conspiring to incite riots, and the prosecution sought to sentence him to 27 years in prison, identifying him as "an undisputed leader" during the riots.
After the 2020 US presidential election, then Republican President Donald Trump refused to give up to Democratic opponent Joseph Biden and repeatedly claimed the existence of large-scale election fraud. On January 6, 2021, a large number of Trump supporters violently broke into the Capitol building, causing riots, resulting in 5 deaths and approximately 140 injuries.
According to the prosecution's testimony, Nordian made a large number of inflammatory remarks and online posts. On the day of the riot, he led hundreds of people to storm the Capitol building, overturned the fence, and caused the rioters to confront the police. The defense, on the other hand, sought a lenient sentence citing reasons such as Nodian's lack of premeditation.
Nordian, who is 33 years old, apologizes for the harm caused by the Capitol Hill riots, calling it a "tragedy" and regretting not using his own influence to intervene. He said, "I am sorry for those people whom I have directly or indirectly hurt."
In addition to Nordian, Judge Kelly also sentenced another member of the organization, Dominic Pezola, to 10 years in prison on the 1st. Unlike Nodian, the jury found that Pezzola was not guilty of conspiracy to incite riots, but rather of multiple serious crimes such as damaging government property. Kelly believes that as a newcomer to the organization, Pezzola played an important role in the Capitol Hill riots, although she did not make a lot of inflammatory remarks like Nodian did.
According to the evidence provided by the prosecution, Pezzola snatched a police riot shield during the riot, smashed the glass of the Capitol building, and broke into it. Pezzola also apologizes for her actions.
According to the Associated Press, as of now, over 1100 people have been charged with violating federal laws due to the Capitol Hill riots, and over 600 have been convicted and sentenced. Among them, two senior members of the "Proud Boys" organization have been sentenced to 17 and 15 years in prison, respectively.