On Friday, the Justice Department announced the indictment of two members of the “Proud Boys” stemming from their conversations before the riot at the US Capitol on January 6.
Dominic Pezzola, 43, of Rochester, New York, and William Pepe, 31, of Beacon, New York, were indicted today in federal court in the District of Columbia on charges of conspiracy; civil disorder; unlawfully entering restricted buildings or grounds; and disorderly and disruptive conduct in restricted buildings or grounds. Pezzola was also charged with obstruction of an official proceeding; additional counts of civil disorder and aiding and abetting civil disorder; robbery of personal property of the United States; assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers; destruction of government property; and engaging in physical violence in a restricted buildings or grounds.
Pepe and Pezzola were originally charged by criminal complaint and arrested on Jan. 12 and 15, respectively.
According to the charging documents, Pezzola and Pepe are members of the Proud Boys, a group self-described as a “pro-Western fraternal organization for men who refuse to apologize for creating the modern world; aka Western Chauvinists.” Proud Boys members often wear the colors yellow and black, as well as other apparel adorned with Proud Boys-related logos and emblems. It is alleged that both Pepe and Pezzola possess tactical vests branded with the Proud Boys logo, and have attended various Proud Boys gatherings and protests.
Fine. I’m a firm believer that actions should have consequences even if the federal judicial system is not (About The Clinesmith Sentencing — Color Me “Not Shocked”). I’m sort of amazed by the way Justice has set out to criminalize membership in this organization by the amount of play they give to the logos and trying to portray the group as misogynistic and, possibly, white supremacist.
What is missing from this story is the extent to which the Proud Boys have been penetrated by the FBI. For instance:
Proud Boys leader was ‘prolific’ informer for law enforcement https://t.co/VHziZCjWjt
— Jared Keller (@jaredbkeller) January 27, 2021
Enrique Tarrio, the leader of the Proud Boys extremist group, has a past as an informer for federal and local law enforcement, repeatedly working undercover for investigators after he was arrested in 2012, according to a former prosecutor and a transcript of a 2014 federal court proceeding obtained by Reuters.
…
The records uncovered by Reuters are startling because they show that a leader of a far-right group now under intense scrutiny by law enforcement was previously an active collaborator with criminal investigators.
Washington police arrested Tarrio in early January when he arrived in the city two days before the Capitol Hill riot. He was charged with possessing two high-capacity rifle magazines, and burning a Black Lives Matter banner during a December demonstration by supporters of former President Donald Trump. The D.C. Superior Court ordered him to leave the city pending a court date in June.
Though Tarrio did not take part in the Capitol insurrection, at least five Proud Boys members have been charged in the riot. The FBI previously said Tarrio’s earlier arrest was an effort to preempt the events of January 6.
“Previously.”
read more:
https://redstate.com/streiff/2021/01/31/proud-boys-leader-fbi-snitch-n319642
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