WASHINGTON, D.C. – The former Florida leader of the Proud Boys pleaded not guilty to a seditious conspiracy charge in the Capitol Riot in a Washington, D.C. courtroom Thursday.
A federal court indicted Joseph Biggs, of Ormond Beach, alongside four other leaders of the far-right group, with seditious conspiracy and conspiracy to prevent an officer from discharging any duties on Monday, court documents show.
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These are two of the biggest charges to come out of the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol Riot investigation, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Former national Proud Boys leader Enrique “Henry” Tarrio, 38, of Miami, Florida; Ethan Nordean, 31, of Auburn, Washington; Zachary Rehl, 37, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and Dominic Pezzola, 44, of Rochester, New York, also face the same charges.
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According to new court documents, federal prosecutors said Biggs called for a “revolution” and Tarrio called for “war” and planned to interrupt President Joe Biden’s 2020 electoral victory during the coordinated attack on the U.S. Capitol.
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All five men were previously charged with different conspiracy counts, but the latest riot-related indictments are among the most serious filed so far.
According to the indictment, Biggs also took a video in which he surveyed the crowd and stated, “We’ve taken the Capitol.”
They join 11 other members or associates of the anti-government Oath Keepers militia group, including its founder and leader Stewart Rhodes, who were indicted in January on seditious conspiracy charges in the Capitol attack.
The government said that more than 800 arrests, including 75 in Florida, have been made so far in connection to the events at the Capitol building.
The House committee is investigating the Jan. 6 riots at the Capitol in a primetime hearing on Thursday. Click here to find out how and where to watch.