Photo: Alamy
President Trump followed through on his campaign promise by signing pardons for approximately 1,500 Jan. 6 political prisoners on Monday.
Enrique Tarrio was among the defendants released pursuant to the pardons signed by President Trump on his first day in office.
The former leader of the Proud Boys was sentenced to 22 years in prison for his role in the protests of January 6, 2021. Tarrio was charged with seditious conspiracy, despite not being physically present in Washington D.C., on the day of the protest.
Tarrio had been detained the day prior to the January 6 protest for allegedly burning a Black Lives Matter banner.
Journalist Julie Kelly closely followed Tarrio’s case, noting that the charges against him were primarily based on the contents of group chat messages rather than any action taken by Tarrio.
Tarrio’s sentence was the longest handed down to any Jan. 6 defendant. The judge in the case agreed to the prosecutors’ request to sentence Tarrio pursuant to a terrorism enhancement.
The 42-year-old has pointed out that the harsh sentence imposed on him would have taken up the majority of his life and thanked President Trump, saying he “literally gave me my life back.”
As he arrived in Miami airport on Wednesday, Tarrio was greeted by cheering crowds and reporters.
