By Sarah N. Lynch
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Enrique Tarrio, the former top leader of the right-wing group the Proud Boys, pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to criminal charges accusing him of conspiring to block Congress from certifying President Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory ahead of last year’s attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Tarrio’s attorney entered the guilty plea on his behalf during a virtual hearing in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
Tarrio, 38, is one of the most high-profile of the more than 775 people criminally charged for their roles in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol by supporters of then-President Donald Trump on the day Congress convened to certify Biden’s victory. Tarrio and other five members of the Proud Boys are charged with conspiring to block the certification.
Tarrio himself was not present at the time of the attack, unlike his co-defendants. Prosecutors said Tarrio still maintained an active leadership role behind the scenes.
During Tuesday’s hearing, U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly also said he will be granting a request by the government to postpone the trial date, and added that he will release a written ruling later in the day.
(Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch; Editing by Will Dunham)
