Proud Boys Lieutenant Dominic Pezzola gets 10-year prison term for Jan. 6.
A Proud Boys Member Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Capitol Riot
In a significant development, a member of the Proud Boys from New York has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for his involvement in the U.S. Capitol riot on January 6, 2021. Dominic J. Pezzola, hailing from Rochester, used a stolen police riot shield to smash open a window on the Senate side of the Capitol. The sentencing took place on September 1, 2023, in Washington D.C., presided over by U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly.
Judge Kelly handed down the sentence after finding Pezzola guilty on seven criminal counts, including obstruction of an official proceeding, conspiracy to prevent an officer from discharging their duties, obstruction of law enforcement during civil disorder, destruction of government property, assaulting or resisting officers, and robbery of personal property of the United States.
It is worth noting that Pezzola was acquitted of seditious conspiracy in May, following a lengthy trial involving him and four other co-defendants from the Proud Boys.
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Despite the Department of Justice seeking a 20-year prison term, Judge Kelly decided to cut the sentence in half. This reduction was made even though the judge added a terrorism enhancement for two of the criminal counts. Pezzola’s defense had suggested a five-year sentence would be more appropriate.
This sentencing follows a similar approach taken by Judge Kelly on August 31, when he sentenced other Proud Boys leaders, Joseph Biggs and Zachary Rehl, to 17 and 15 years in prison, respectively. Prosecutors had sought much longer sentences for both individuals. The sentencing for other top Proud Boys leaders, Henry “Enrique” Tarrio and Ethan Nordean, is still pending.
During the sentencing hearing, Pezzola’s mother, daughters, and wife made emotional appeals to Judge Kelly, pleading for mercy. Pezzola’s wife, Lisa Magee, tearfully described the financial hardships they have faced, the loss of friends and family due to the publicity surrounding January 6, and her own struggles to find employment.
Apologizing for his actions, Pezzola expressed remorse to his family and the police. He acknowledged that he made a grave mistake on January 6 and stated that he has no intention of being involved in any extremist groups or politics in the future.
In a sentencing memorandum submitted to Judge Kelly, prosecutors revealed that Pezzola had joined the Proud Boys in November 2020 with the intention of engaging in political violence.
‘Willing to Fight’
According to the memorandum, Pezzola’s journal entry stated, ”There are many reasons why I want to join the PBs,” and he professed his willingness to fight until his last breath to prevent his children from inheriting what he believed would be a communist country. He emphasized his physical fitness, his ability to be anywhere at any time, and his view of the political situation as a battle between good and evil, requiring patriots to stand up and reclaim their God-given liberties, just as the Founders did.
The window on the Senate Wing that Pezzola smashed became the first breach point into the Capitol. Prosecutors argued that this act warranted a terrorism enhancement to his sentence.
Prosecutors highlighted that Pezzola admitted on cross-examination that he smashed the window because he believed it would be a way to make the government listen to him.
Using the stolen shield, Pezzola targeted the two lower panes of tempered glass after another rioter had already punched a hole in the right side of the window with a 2-by-4. Once the glass was shattered, people began jumping through the window into the Capitol.
Prosecutors argued that only a lengthy prison term would deter Pezzola from committing further crimes. They cited an interview he gave after the jury verdicts in May, where he referred to the trial as a “complete sham” and claimed that the Constitution had been “shredded” and “re-legislated from the bench” to secure convictions.
Radical Leftist Jury?
Furthermore, Pezzola alleged that the jury consisted of “all radical leftists” who either supported LGBTQ rights or the Black Lives Matter movement. He claimed that these individuals despised everything the Proud Boys stood for, including their love for God, country, and family.
The sentencing of Dominic Pezzola serves as a significant milestone in holding individuals accountable for their actions during the Capitol riot. As the legal proceedings continue, the nation awaits the outcomes of the pending sentencing hearings for other prominent Proud Boys leaders.
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