Ethan Nordean during the attack on the Capitol in Washington, January 6, 2021. CAROLYN KASTER / AP
He was referred to as the head of the “Ministry of Self-Defense.” Ethan Nordean, former leader of the American far-right group Proud Boys, was sentenced to eighteen years in prison on Friday, September 1, for his role in the attack on the Capitol in January 2021.
This prison sentence corresponds to that of Stewart Rhodes, the founder of the far-right militia Oath Keepers, who received the longest sentence for this attack. The 32-year-old was found guilty of conspiring against American institutions. Another Proud Boys member, Dominic Pezzola, 45, was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
According to Washington Attorney General Matthew Graves, the two men “conspired to prevent, obstruct and delay the certification of Democrat Joe Biden’s victory over outgoing President Donald Trump.” On January 6, 2021, thousands of Republican supporters gathered in the federal capital to denounce the results of the 2020 election. A crowd stormed the Capitol, the seat of the US Congress, sending shockwaves around the world.
Also read: Article reserved for our subscribers. Attack on the Capitol: Stewart Rhodes, the leader of the Oath Keepers militia, sentenced to eighteen years in prison
Willing to “use force if necessary”
According to Matthew Graves, Ethan Nordean selected Dominic Pezzola and other activists to take part in the attack on the Capitol. The Proud Boys’ leaders recruited people who followed their orders and were “prepared to use violence if necessary,” the prosecutor argued. On the day of the attack, “Ethan Nordean, Dominic Pezzola and their leaders were involved in each of the significant breaches at the Capitol,” he added. Dominic Pezzola was particularly condemned for breaking a window at the Capitol and “allowing the first rioters to enter the building.”
Dominic Pezzola at the Capitol, in Washington, January 6, 2021. MANUEL BALCE CENETA / AP Read also the frame: In the United States, the Proud Boys, far-right militiamen, are proud to be quoted by the president
Before their sentencing, both men expressed remorse, with Ethan Nordean blaming his own leaders. But on Friday, minutes after his fate was decided, Dominic Pezzola raised his fist and shouted “Trump won,” according to people in the room.
On Thursday, two additional Proud Boys leaders were sentenced to seventeen and fifteen years in prison, respectively, for their involvement in the attack. Since January 6, 2021, more than 1,100 people have been arrested and charged. More than half were convicted, the majority given prison sentences.
Also read: How dozens of pro-Trump protesters reached the heart of the Capitol