Capitol Rioter Praises Trump Judge Before Getting Nearly 20 Years in Jail

Proud Boys leader Joseph Biggs had some kind parting words for federal Judge Timothy Kelly after he was sentenced to 17 years in prison for his involvement in the January 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol.

Biggs, a U.S. Army veteran and former Infowars staffer, was arrested in Florida less than two weeks after the riot and charged with seditious conspiracy and other felonies, including obstructing an official congressional proceeding, illegal entry and disorderly conduct on restricted Capitol grounds. His trial lasted about four months.

"You've all done a hell of a job.... I thank you for all your hard work... I respect the process and I respect the outcome. I don't agree with it, and that's why I'm appealing... I pray for all of you," Biggs said Thursday in the courtroom, according to NBC News reporter Ryan Reilly's post on X (formerly Twitter).

A tearful Biggs reportedly apologized for his "rhetoric" and said it was his crutch in dealing with family problems, noting that his young daughter was molested by a family member. He also said he is not a terrorist.

The court viewed it differently, however. Kelly, a U.S. District judge who was appointed by former President Donald Trump in 2017, accepted the government's recommendation to label Biggs' crimes as acts of terrorism by using threats and use of force to influence governmental actions.

In January, Kelly ruled that prosecutors could use Trump's "stand back and stand by" directive to the Proud Boys, which he said during a presidential debate against Joe Biden, as evidence in the case against Biggs and other members of the group.

Federal prosecutors had sought 33 years for Biggs, which would have been the longest sentence for anyone involved in the January 6 assault on the Capitol. In May, Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes was sentenced to 18 years in prison on seditious conspiracy charges, the longest January 6 sentence imposed to date, now followed by Biggs' 17 years.

Prosecutors are also seeking 33 years for Proud Boy leader Enrique Tarrio, a close ally of Biggs, who was supposed to be sentenced on Wednesday for seditious conspiracy. The sentencing was postponed because Kelly called out sick and later tested negative for COVID-19.

Biggs' attorney, Norm Pattis, said Thursday that the government's preferred sentence was outlandish and essentially a life sentence that was much longer than necessary based on the charges, according to Reilly's post.

"It almost feels Soviet-style—tell us about your neighbor, be a good citizen," Pattis said.

Newsweek reached out by email to Pattis and the Department of Justice for comment.

Zachary Rehl, the former leader of the Proud Boys' Philadelphia chapter, was also supposed to be sentenced Thursday. Federal prosecutors had sought 30 years in prison for him.