A PROUD Boys leader and four of its members were indicted on sedition charges yesterday in connection with the assault on the US Capitol on January 6.

Henry “Enrique” Tarrio, 38, is already facing other charges related to the failed attempt by supporters of former president Donald Trump to block Democrat Joe Biden’s election victory.

A superseding indictment unveiled yesterday added the more serious charge of seditious conspiracy to the charges against Tarrio, the former Proud Boys “national chairman”, and the four other members.

Tarrio was arrested in Miami in March and is charged with conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, obstruction of law enforcement, destruction of government property and other offenses.

More than 800 people have been arrested in connection with the storming of Congress by Trump supporters, according to the Justice Department, but only a handful face the seditious conspiracy charge, which carries a sentence of up to 20 years in prison.

Stewart Rhodes, 56 – founder of Oath Keepers, another far-right group – has been charged with seditious conspiracy along with 10 other members of the organisation.

Three Oath Keepers members have pleaded guilty.

According to the superseding indictment, Tarrio was not in Washington on January 6 but met with Rhodes in an underground parking garage in Washington on January 5, and was in contact with members of the Proud Boys who breached the Capitol.

Along with him, four other Proud Boys members – Dominic Pezzola, 44, Joseph Biggs, 38, Zachary Rehl, 36, and Ethan Nordean, 31 – were charged with seditious conspiracy in addition to their previous charges.

The indictment comes three days ahead of a public hearing by the House select committee investigating the storming of the Capitol.

The committee is trying to see if Trump or members of his circle had a role in encouraging or planning the violent attack, and has subpoenaed advisers and aides to the former president.

The assault left at least five people dead and 140 police officers injured, and followed a fiery speech by Trump to thousands of his supporters near the White House.

Trump was impeached for a historic second time by the House after the riot – he was charged with inciting an insurrection – but was acquitted by the Senate, where only seven members of his own Republican party voted against him. – AFP, June 7, 2022.