*Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio asked for donations ahead of his five-month prison sentence for burning a Black Lives Matter banner from a historic Black church in downtown Washington D.C. and bringing firearms to the Capitol.
We previously reported that Tarrio reached a deal with prosecutors in July. He was initially charged with two counts of possessing a “high-capacity” magazine, but authorities reduced the charges to one count. He pleaded guilty before a Washington, D.C., superior court, according to the Washington Post, as reported by MSN.
Here’s more from MSN:
He was arrested in early January, two days prior to the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, following a Dec. 12 demonstration in the city that turned violent. Tarrio, flanked by other members of the Proud Boys, torched a BLM banner, which was later found to be stolen from an Asbury United Methodist Church. Law enforcement also discovered the ammunition magazines following a traffic stop of his vehicle.
The flag-burning was reportedly caught on video.
READ MORE: Proud Boys Leader Enrique Tarrio Pleads Guilty to Burning BLM Banner
Tarrio, who appeared in court virtually, said… “If I’d have known that banner came from a church, it would not have been burned.”
Hours before beginning his prison sentence, Tarrio posted a lengthy message to his followers on Telegram along with a link to a donation website called “Tarrio Support Fund.”
“First I want to thank the thousands of true American patriots who have offered their prayers and support as I embark on this next chapter of my life. I am not worried and feel at peace with what I must do over the next five months,” Tarrio wrote. “My message to them is simple, don’t give up the ship. Keep holding power to account and never back down. They want to kill you, our patriotism, and cause the total erasure of our culture,” Tarrio added.
The statement noted that the donations will help his family “during this difficult time.”
“The injustice has left us with no other choice but to turn to the public for support,” the description for the donation website reads. “We have also begun to file lawsuits to right all the wrongs that have been committed against our family. We ask for your help, support, and prayers through these dark times.”
The Proud Boys leader was arrested in the nation’s capital two days before the deadly riot on Jan. 6. Tarrio later made headlines after he was found to be a “prolific” confidential informant for various law enforcement divisions.
According to a report by Reuters, for years, Tarrio repeatedly went undercover and helped investigators prosecute 13 people for crimes related to drugs and human smuggling.
Tarrio apparently “cooperated with local and federal law enforcement, to aid in the prosecution of those running other, separate criminal enterprises, ranging from running marijuana grow houses in Miami to operating pharmaceutical fraud schemes” after he was arrested in 2012, Vanessa Singh Johannes, who prosecuted his case, told Reuters.
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