Federal Judge Vacates Convictions of Four Proud Boys Members Linked to Jan. 6 Riot

A federal judge on Friday dismissed the convictions of Ethan Nordean, Joseph Biggs, Zachary Rehl and Dominic Pezzola, former members of the Proud Boys who had been found guilty of offenses related to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol assault. Judge Timothy Kelly signed off on the Justice Department’s request to vacate the convictions after a U.S. Court of Appeals panel approved the dismissal earlier this year.

The four men had previously been sentenced for a range of charges, including seditious conspiracy, assault on officers, robbery involving government property and obstruction. The Justice Department had described Nordean and Pezzola as participants in “every consequential breach” at the Capitol, leading a group that dismantled barricades and entered the building.

In a memorandum, Kelly noted that the executive branch’s position on the prosecutions was well known and that the dismissal aligned with the administration’s stated intent to grant clemency to those involved in the attack. He added that the procedural history made it “hard to see how any course other than granting the motion in full could make practical sense.”

The ruling follows a broader Justice Department effort in April to vacate convictions of a dozen former Proud Boys and Oath Keepers members, many of whom had been convicted of seditious conspiracy. The case was returned to the district court after the appellate panel’s decision in May.

The Justice Department has not yet commented on the latest development.