Police officer charged with lying about leaks to Proud Boys leader
A police officer has been arrested on charges that he lied about leaking confidential information to a leader of the far-right Proud Boys extremist group and obstructed an investigation after group members destroyed a Black Lives Matter banner in the nation's capital.
Defense rests at sedition trial for Proud Boys leaders
Defense attorneys have finished presenting their trial testimony for the landmark case against former Proud Boys national leader Enrique Tarrio and four lieutenants charged with plotting to stop the peaceful transfer of presidential power after the 2020 election.
Informant didn't spy on Proud Boys defense, prosecutors say
As revelations that a defense witness was also an FBI informant roil the already contentious Capitol riot trial of members of the far-right Proud Boys group, prosecutors say the informant was never told to gather information about the defendants or their lawyers.
Prosecutors reveal planned Proud Boys witness was informant
A lawyer for one of the former Proud Boys leaders charged with seditious conspiracy says federal prosecutors have revealed that a defense witness was secretly acting as a government informant for nearly two years after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Prosecutors rest in sedition case against Proud Boys leaders
Federal prosecutors have rested their seditious conspiracy case against former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio and four lieutenants charged with plotting to stop the transfer of presidential power from Donald Trump to Joe Biden after the 2020 election.
Messages: Officer often fed information to Proud Boys leader
A jury has heard testimony about Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio's private communications with a police officer who provided him with internal information about law enforcement operations in the weeks before members of Tarrio's far-right extremist group stormed the U.S. Capitol.
Proud Boys expecting 'civil war' before Jan. 6, witness says
A witness at the Capitol riot trial of Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio says that the month before the riot, members of the far-right extremist group were growing increasingly angry about the outcome of the 2020 election and were expecting a “civil war."
Proud Boys charged with seditious conspiracy in Capitol riot
The former top leader of the far-right Proud Boys extremist group and other members have been charged with seditious conspiracy for what federal prosecutors say was a coordinated attack on the U.S. Capitol to stop Congress from certifying President Joe Biden’s 2020 electoral victory.
Orange County Sheriff’s Office clears deputy married to Capitol riot suspect of any wrongdoing
An Orange County sheriff’s deputy has been cleared of any wrongdoing following the arrest of her husband, a self-described member of the Proud Boys who was arrested for allegedly taking part in the January riot at the U.S. Capitol.
Leaders of Proud Boys ordered jailed on Capitol riot charges
A federal judge has ordered two leaders of the far-right Proud Boys extremist group to be arrested and jailed while awaiting trial on charges they planned and coordinated an attack on the U.S. Capitol to stop the certification of Joe Biden’s electoral victory.
Capitol riot suspect in custody in Orlando took selfie inside Senate chamber, feds say
ORLANDO, Fla. – A Proud Boys member who made his way inside the Senate chamber and took a selfie there during the U.S. Capitol riot earlier this year was arrested in Central Florida, according to federal authorities. Jackman was also seen with Joseph Biggs, a Proud Boys organizer who was also taken into custody in Central Florida, records show. He said he and the other Proud Boys were not there to infiltrate the Capitol and it was not a sanctioned Proud Boys event. According to the report, the Proud Boys members who attended went incognito instead of wearing their signature black and yellow polo shirts. AdAmong the most notable local suspects are a Sanford firefighter, a Proud Boys organizer and a Marion County man who was previously convicted of attempted murder.
Lawyer: FBI enlisted Proud Boys leader from Florida to inform on antifa
In this Jan. 6, 2021, photo, Proud Boys including Joseph Biggs, front left, walks toward the U.S. Capitol in Washington, in support of President Donald Trump. The Proud Boys even have counted some law enforcement officers among their ranks, including a Connecticut police officer and a Louisiana sheriff’s deputy. AdThe FBI would not comment on why agents were meeting with Biggs or why the bureau was trying to solicit information about antifa through the Proud Boys. Biggs, 37, of Ormond Beach, Florida, wouldn't be the first Proud Boys informant. Proud Boys members describe themselves as a politically incorrect men’s club for “Western chauvinists.” Vice Media co-founder Gavin McInnes, who founded the Proud Boys in 2016, sued the Southern Poverty Law Center for labeling it as a hate group.
4 men linked to Proud Boys charged in plot to attack Capitol
AdTarrio hasn't been charged in connection with the riots, but the latest indictment refers to him by his title as Proud Boys' chairman. Nordean, 30, of Auburn, Washington, was a Proud Boys chapter president and member of the group’s national “Elders Council.” Biggs, 37, of Ormond Beach, Florida, is a self-described Proud Boys organizer. Proud Boys members, who describe themselves as a politically incorrect men’s club for “Western chauvinists,” have frequently engaged in street fights with antifascist activists at rallies and protests. Vice Media co-founder Gavin McInnes, who founded the Proud Boys in 2016, sued the Southern Poverty Law Center for labeling it as a hate group. Several Proud Boys also entered the Capitol building itself after the mob smashed windows and forced open doors.
Florida man among Proud Boys organizers who led mob into US Capitol, federal prosecutors say
In this Jan. 6, 2021, photo, Proud Boys including Joseph Biggs, front left, walks toward the U.S. Capitol in Washington, in support of President Donald Trump. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)ORLANDO, Fla. – An organizer for the right-wing extremist group the Proud Boys is facing federal charges in connection with the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. According to the indictment, Biggs is a self-described organizer of certain Proud Boys events. The indictment indicates Biggs was among the first group to breach the Capitol building, fighting with Capitol police. While inside the Capitol, Biggs and others went into the Senate chamber, according to the indictment.
Woman charged in Capitol melee says Proud Boys recruited her
The Proud Boys' social media channels quickly responded, calling auxiliary groups such as Proud Boy's Girls or Proud Girls “ridiculous ideas.” “Don't ride our coattails,” one post read. Mothers of Proud Boys have posted about Proud Boys gatherings they hosted for their sons. Prosecutors allege in a court filing that William Chrestman, whom they described as the leader of Kansas City Proud Boys cell, “readily recruited” Felicia Konold and her brother, Cory Konold, from Arizona to join the Kansas City Proud Boys. AdThe Proud Boys have been known to incite street violence with counterprotesters. Conspiracy theorists, such as followers of QAnon, tend to be popular with women, but Proud Boys supporters and QAnon supporters come together at these types of protests.
Democrat’s lawsuit accuses Trump of inciting deadly Capitol riot
Thompson has sued former President Donald Trump, alleging Trump incited the deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. A Trump senior adviser, Jason Miller, said in a statement that Trump did not organize the rally that preceded the riot and “did not incite or conspire to incite any violence at the Capitol on Jan. Additional suits could be brought by other members of Congress or by law enforcement officers injured while responding to the riot. That process was temporarily interrupted when Trump supporters broke into the Capitol. Trump encouraged supporters at a rally preceding the riot to “ fight like hell,” but lawyers for the former president adamantly denied during the impeachment trial that he had incited the riot.
Canada designates the Proud Boys as a terrorist entity
Enrique Tarrio, the chairman of Proud Boys, called the terrorist designation “ridiculous.”"There is no basis for it. All the Canadian Proud Boys have ever done is go to rallies,” Tarrio said in a phone interview. He estimated there are between 1,000 and 1,500 Proud Boys in Canada. Sending money to the organization or buying Proud Boys paraphernalia would also be a crime. On January 6, 2021, the Proud Boys played a pivotal role in the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.”The government calls the Proud Boys a neo-fascist organization with semiautonomous chapters located in the United States, Canada, and internationally.
Florida is home to 68 different hate groups, Southern Poverty Law Center says
In its annual report set to be released Monday, Feb. 1, 2021, the Southern Poverty Law Center said it identified 838 active hate groups operating across the U.S. in 2020. (AP Photo/John Locher, File)The Southern Poverty Law Center recently released its 2020 Hatewatch list, showing 838 hate groups being tracked across the U.S. In 2020, SPLC tracked 838 hate groups that spread bigotry and hate in our communities. Learn about hate in your state — view our hate map pic.twitter.com/1xYamRp0Qs — Southern Poverty Law Center (@splcenter) February 1, 2021The Hatewatch list shows there are at least 10 hate groups with chapters in Central Florida. Central Florida has seen a decline in the number of hate groups taking root here.
Hate groups migrate online, making tracking more difficult
In its annual report, released Monday, the Southern Poverty Law Center said it identified 838 active hate groups operating across the U.S. in 2020. AdThe Montgomery, Alabama-based law center said many hate groups have moved to social media platforms and use of encrypted apps, while others have been banned altogether from mainstream social media networks. White nationalist organizations, a subset of the hate groups listed in the report, declined last year from 155 to 128. The number of anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim and anti-LGBTQ hate groups remained largely stable, while their in-person organizing was hampered by the coronavirus pandemic. People who support or express hatred and bigotry are not always card-carrying members of far-right groups.
Federal conspiracy charges for 2 Proud Boys in Capitol riot
The Department of Justice announced Friday, Jan. 29, 2021, two New York men identified as members of the Proud Boys have been indicted on federal conspiracy and other charges in the Jan. 6, Capitol riot. Pezzola and William Pepe were arrested earlier in the month on federal charges including illegally entering a restricted building. (FBI via AP)NEW YORK – Two men identified as members of the Proud Boys have been indicted on federal conspiracy and other charges in the Capitol riot as prosecutors raise the stakes in some of the slew of cases stemming from the Jan. 6 insurrection. The two, both from New York state, have now been indicted in Washington on charges that newly include conspiracy. AdThe Justice Department said both Pepe and Pezzola have gone to Proud Boys gatherings and have tactical vests emblazoned with the group's logo.
Proud Boys leader was government informant, records show
FILE - In this Sept. 26, 2020, file photo, Proud Boys leader Henry "Enrique" Tarrio wears a hat that says The War Boys during a rally in Portland, Ore. Police in the nations capital on Jan. 4, 2021, arrested the leader of the Proud Boys, who is accused of burning a Black Lives Matter banner that was torn down from a historic Black church in downtown Washington in December 2020. (AP Photo/Allison Dinner, File)The leader of the Proud Boys, who was arrested in Washington shortly before the Capitol riot, previously worked undercover and cooperated with investigators after he was accused of fraud in 2012, court documents show. The Proud Boys is a far-right, male chauvinist extremist group that seized on the Trump administration’s policies and was a major agitator during earlier protests and the Capitol riot on Jan. 6. The Proud Boys have railed against a “deep state” and work to break down the current government system, and so the revelations of Tarrio as a federal informant came as quite a surprise. When police pulled Tarrio over, officers found two unloaded magazines emblazoned with the Proud Boys logo in his bag that had a capacity of 30 rounds each, authorities said.
How the Proud Boys became America’s most prominent hate group
(AP Photo/Luis M. Alvarez)The Proud Boys have only been around for a few years, but in that time they have grown to become one of America’s most well-known hate groups. Notably, a former member of the Proud Boys, Jason Kessler, was among the organizers of the “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. The Southern Poverty Law Center has designated the Proud Boys as a hate group. The Proud Boys began during the presidential election in 2016, according to SPLC, and were founded by Gavin McInnes. Several people with ties to the Proud Boys have been arrested following the siege on the Capitol.
Official displays gun during meeting after criticism about Proud Boys
I was in my home.”Two self-described members of the Proud Boys spoke to the county board last March in support of a pro-Second Amendment resolution the panel adopted. “The only thing I know about them (Proud Boys) is when they came and spoke to us," Clous said. “I am not a member of Proud Boys,” Hentschel said Wednesday. “But I do know a few Proud Boys. I’ve met Black Proud Boys, I’ve met multi-racial Puerto Rican Proud Boys and they inform me they also have gay Proud Boys.
Judge bans Proud Boys leader from Washington after arrest
FILE - In this Sept. 26, 2020, file photo, Proud Boys leader Henry "Enrique" Tarrio wears a hat that says The War Boys during a rally in Portland, Ore. Police in the nations capital on Jan. 4, 2021, arrested the leader of the Proud Boys, who is accused of burning a Black Lives Matter banner that was torn down from a historic Black church in downtown Washington in December 2020. (AP Photo/Allison Dinner, File)WASHINGTON – A judge has banned the leader of the Proud Boys, a far-right extremist group, from the nation’s capital after he was accused of vandalizing a Black Lives Matter banner at a historic Black church and found with high-capacity firearm magazines when he was arrested. Tarrio was arrested Monday by the Metropolitan Police Department and accused of burning a Black Lives Matter banner that was torn down from a historic Black church in downtown Washington last month. A large Black Lives Matter sign was ripped from Asbury United Methodist Church property, torn and set aflame in December. Tarrio was seen with the sign in video of the incident posted on YouTube, according to a police report.
Proud Boys leader arrested, accused of burning church banner
FILE - In this Sept. 26, 2020, file photo, Proud Boys leader Henry "Enrique" Tarrio wears a hat that says The War Boys during a rally in Portland, Ore. Police in the nations capital on Jan. 4, 2021, arrested the leader of the Proud Boys, who is accused of burning a Black Lives Matter banner that was torn down from a historic Black church in downtown Washington in December 2020. (AP Photo/Allison Dinner, File)WASHINGTON – Police in the nation’s capital on Monday arrested the leader of the Proud Boys, who is accused of burning a Black Lives Matter banner that was torn down from a historic Black church in downtown Washington last month. By nightfall, vandals tore down a Black Lives Matter banner and sign from two historic Black churches in downtown Washington and set the banner ablaze. Tarrio told The Washington Post he had participated in the burning of the Black Lives Matter banner and said he would plead guilty to destruction of property and pay the church the cost of the banner. Another video showed men removing a Black Lives Matter sign at the Metropolitan A.M.E. Church.
DC mayor calls in National Guard ahead of pro-Trump protests
(AP Photo/Susan Walsh)WASHINGTON – Bracing for possible violence, the nation's capital has mobilized the National Guard ahead of planned protests by President Donald Trump's supporters in connection with the congressional vote expected Wednesday to affirm Joe Biden's election victory. Now with downtown D.C. businesses boarding up their windows, Mayor Muriel Bowser has requested a limited National Guard deployment to help bolster the Metropolitan Police Department. Because D.C. does not have a governor, the designated commander of the city’s National Guard is Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy. The D.C. Guard will provide specialized teams that will be prepared to respond to any chemical or biological incident. But the official said there will be no D.C. Guard members on the National Mall or at the U.S. Capitol.
DC police seeking church vandals after weekend clashes
Supporters of President Donald Trump who are wearing attire associated with the Proud Boys attend a rally at Freedom Plaza, Saturday, Dec. 12, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Luis M. Alvarez)WASHINGTON – Police in the nation's capital are asking for public assistance in identifying people responsible for burning Black Lives Matter banners and damaging local churches during weekend clashes between local activists and supporters of President Donald Trump. In some cases a Black Lives Matter banner was torn down and set ablaze. The photos of the perpetrators all show different bearded white men, all wearing the distinctive black and yellow of the Proud Boys, a neo-fascist group known to incite street violence. After dark, large groups of Proud Boys roamed the downtown streets and confronted a group of local activists, including antifa, who sought to protect the space around Black Lives Matter Plaza.
US officials: Iran behind intimidating emails sent to Florida, other voters
BOSTON – U.S. officials accused Iran on Wednesday of being behind a flurry of emails sent to Democratic voters in multiple battleground states that appeared to be aimed at intimidating them into voting for President Donald Trump. Iran sent spoofed emails designed to intimidate voters and sow unrest and also distributed a video that falsely suggested voters could cast fraudulent ballots from overseas, Ratcliffe said. Wray and Ratcliffe did not describe the emails, but officials familiar with the matter said the U.S. has linked Tehran to messages sent to Democratic voters in at least four states, including battleground locations like Pennsylvania and Florida. Though Democratic voters were targeted, Ratcliffe said the spoofed emails were intended to harm Trump, though he did not elaborate how. The operation represented something of a departure in cyber-ops for Iran, which sought for the first time on record to undermine voter confidence.
Trump Proud Boys remark echoes Charlottesville
Trump's exchange with Democrat Joe Biden left the extremist group Proud Boys celebrating what some of its members saw as tacit approval. “I don’t know who Proud Boys are. When pushed by Wallace, Trump asked for the name of a group to condemn — and Biden suggested Proud Boys. “Proud Boys, stand back and stand by,” Trump said. Proud Boys members are ardent Trump supporters known for their violent confrontations with antifascists and other ideological opponents at protests, often drawing the largest crowds in the Pacific Northwest.
Trump to far-right extremists: 'Stand back and stand by'
Instead, he said the violence is a left-wing" problem and he told one far-right extremist group to stand back and stand by. His comments Tuesday night were in response to debate moderator Chris Wallace asking if he would condemn white supremacists and militia groups. Trump's exchange with Democrat Joe Biden left the extremist group Proud Boys celebrating what some of its members saw as tacit approval. “Proud Boys,” Democrat Joe Biden chimed in, referencing a far-right extremist group that has shown up at protests in the Pacific Northwest. “Proud Boys, stand back and stand by,” Trump said.
Arrests in Portland protest follow fairly calm rally
Portland police detain a man during protests, Saturday, Sept. 26, 2020, in Portland. The protests, which began over the killing of George Floyd, often result frequent clashes between protesters and law enforcement. Images showed protesters crowded in and around a park near the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse — the same courthouse that had been the scene of nightly unrest over the summer. Video posted by KOIN-TV showed officers warn that protesters who hurl projectiles will be subject to arrest. The rally came as Portland has seen nearly nightly protests since the police killing of George Floyd in late May.