A Proud Boys member who was among the many first to cross the police line on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 pleaded responsible on Wednesday and agreed to cooperate with the federal government — doubtlessly in opposition to different members of the far-right extremist group, the authorities mentioned.
The defendant, Matthew Greene, 34, of Syracuse, N.Y., was more than likely the primary member of the Proud Boys, a gaggle that describes itself as “Western chauvinists,” to plead responsible to prices stemming from the riot, his lawyer, Michael Kasmarek, mentioned on Wednesday.
Mr. Greene was “among the many first wave” to hurry up the Capitol steps after the police line was breached, the U.S. Legal professional’s Workplace for the District of Columbia mentioned in a statement on Wednesday. After he got here down the steps, he moved police barricades, prosecutors mentioned. His lawyer maintains that he by no means entered the Capitol constructing.
Mr. Greene and different Proud Boys members had agreed earlier than the siege to speak by means of programmable radios, prosecutors mentioned. They had been “deliberately wearing clothes that hid their membership as Proud Boys,” the assertion mentioned.
Mr. Greene spent a lot of the rally alongside Dominic Pezzola of Rochester, N.Y., who was noticed bashing a Capitol window with a police defend in a widely seen video. Mr. Pezzola, 44, was later identified in a criminal complaint as a part of a gaggle that spoke about killing former Vice President Mike Pence and Speaker Nancy Pelosi. He has pleaded not responsible to a litany of charges, prosecutors mentioned.
Mr. Greene faces as much as 25 years in jail on one rely of conspiracy and one rely of obstruction of an official continuing, prosecutors mentioned. However he might obtain a sentence of 41 to 51 months as a result of he agreed to cooperate with investigators, Mr. Kasmarek mentioned.
Perceive the U.S. Capitol Riot
On Jan. 6, 2021, a pro-Trump mob stormed the Capitol.
He’s set to be sentenced on March 10, prosecutors mentioned. His lawyer declined to say the place he was being held till then.
After Mr. Greene returned house from the riot, he ordered greater than 2,000 rounds of assault-rifle ammunition and instructed an “acquaintance” to be prepared “to do uncomfortable issues,” in line with a motion that prosecutors filed in June. The F.B.I. seized his ammunition together with an AR-15 rifle and handguns whereas they had been conducting a search at his house on Jan. 18.
Mr. Greene was arrested in April and agreed to share data with the federal government, Mr. Kasmarek mentioned, including that Mr. Greene “desires to take duty for what he did.”
Key Figures within the Jan. 6 Inquiry
Prosecutors mentioned the Proud Boys played a leading role within the assault through which a pro-Trump mob stormed the Capitol, injuring dozens of law enforcement officials in a rampage that left a number of individuals useless.
The group, which has maintained hyperlinks with each overt white supremacists and more mainstream Republicans, has been a vocal — and sometimes violent — supporter of former President Donald J. Trump. Throughout one of many presidential debates, Mr. Trump seemed to signal his support by telling its members to “stand back and stand by.”
Within the wake of the riot, the federal authorities used the complete scope of their powers to research the group. F.B.I. brokers have executed search warrants in New York, California, Florida, Missouri and Washington State.
Together with Mr. Pezzola, Mr. Greene additionally spent a lot of the rally with William Pepe of Beacon, N.Y. The costs in opposition to Mr. Pepe, 32, were only scantly described. In a criminal complaint issued on Jan. 11, prosecutors mentioned that he had used a day of sick depart to attend a “Cease the Steal” protest in Washington, D.C., and was subsequently photographed contained in the Capitol.
Mr. Pepe has pleaded not responsible, prosecutors mentioned.
Greater than 700 individuals have been charged because the siege, the Justice Division mentioned, together with members of the Oath Keepers, a decade-old antigovernment militia group. 4 members of the group have pleaded responsible and are cooperating with investigators.
Alan Feuer contributed reporting.
