Jan. 6 Capitol Riot: Longest Sentences Handed Down So Far

Since the January 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, participants have been facing escalating consequences, with some of the most extensive sentences yet issued this month. Over 1,100 individuals have been charged in connection with the riot, including 350+ facing charges for assaulting or obstructing law enforcement. Here are the most substantial sentences handed out in relation to the insurrection:

1. Henry “Enrique” Tarrio, former leader of the right-wing extremist group Proud Boys, received a 22-year prison sentence — the lengthiest in the Jan. 6 cases. While not physically present at the riot due to an earlier arrest, Tarrio was convicted of seditious conspiracy related to Jan. 6.
2. Stewart Rhodes, founder of the far-right militia group Oath Keepers, is serving one of the lengthiest sentences with 18 years. Convicted of seditious conspiracy, prosecutors asserted Rhodes and his group sought to obstruct the 2020 election results to keep Trump in power.
3. Ethan Nordean, a U.S. military veteran who led the Seattle chapter of the Proud Boys, also received an 18-year prison term. Accused of aiding in planning the group’s march, Nordean was found guilty of seditious conspiracy for his role in the attack.
4. Joseph Biggs, a former leader of the Proud Boys, received a 17-year prison sentence after being found guilty of seditious conspiracy. This is half of the requested 33-year term by prosecutors.
5. Zachary Rehl, former president of the Proud Boys’ Philadelphia chapter, was sentenced to 15 years in prison alongside Biggs. Convicted of multiple felonies, including seditious conspiracy and conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding.
6. Peter Schwartz received a 14-year prison sentence in May after being found guilty on 10 charges, including four felony charges of assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers while using a dangerous weapon.
7. Kelly Meggs was sentenced to 12 years in prison after being found guilty of seditious conspiracy and other felonies in a November 2022 trial. As one of Rhodes’ top deputies, Meggs was sentenced alongside him.