A Proud Boy involved in the events at the Capitol, who infamously smashed a window using a stolen police riot shield, is scheduled to face sentencing in federal court this Friday morning.
Dominic Pezzola stands as the singular defendant among the five individuals in the Proud Boys trial who was not found guilty of the top charge of seditious conspiracy. Prosecutors are pushing for a 20-year federal prison sentence, although U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly had previously handed down prison terms for two other Proud Boys that were roughly half of what prosecutors had initially sought.
On Thursday, Joe Biggs, a former correspondent for InfoWars, received a 17-year federal prison sentence, while Zach Rehl, a Proud Boy from Philadelphia who was confirmed to have pepper-sprayed officers, was sentenced to 15 years.
During his trial in April, Pezzola took the stand in his own defense, vehemently dismissing the charges against him as “fake” and weaving conspiracy theories centered on Ray Epps, a participant in the January 6th events who had yet to face charges.
Extensive video evidence meticulously documented Pezzola’s actions on that fateful day in the Capitol, including a video he personally recorded inside the building after leading the breach.
In the video, Pezzola can be heard saying, “Knew we could take this motherf—– over if we just tried hard enough.”
Prosecutors contended that Pezzola “functioned as a soldier in the civil war he had envisioned” on January 6th.
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According to prosecutors, “Pezzola’s actions left no room for doubt that he had intentions to influence or coerce government conduct through intimidation or to retaliate against government actions. During confrontations with police officers who were attempting to subdue the advancing mob, Pezzola forcibly took a riot shield from an officer. Instead of acting in a manner consistent with his purported motive of self-defense, Pezzola celebrated his acquisition by posing with the shield while making the Proud Boys hand gesture and chanting ‘USA! USA!’ while triumphantly hoisting the shield above his head.”