Proud Boys Leader Who Burned BLM Flag Gets 5 Months In Jail: DOJ

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Henry “Enrique” Tarrio, a Proud Boys leader from Miami, was sentenced to five months in jail Monday after pleading guilty to charges in two cases in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, including one involving the burning of a Black Lives Matter banner stolen from a historically prominent Black church in downtown Washington, D.C., and a firearms charge, according to a news release from the Department of Justice.

The 37-year-old pleaded guilty July 19 to one count of destruction of property for the burning of the BLM flag and one count of attempted possession of a large-capacity ammunition feeding device in a separate firearm case, the DOJ said.

He was sentenced to 90 days in jail for the destruction of property and 155 days in jail on the firearms charge. The judge suspended all but 155 days of that time on the condition that Tarrio complete three years of probation. He must also pay a $1,000 fine and $347 in restitution to the church.

On Dec. 12, a group affiliated with the Proud Boys, including Tarrio, was in the area of 11th and K streets NW in Washington, D.C., near the Asbury United Methodist Church.

Unidentified members of the group stole a banner that read #BLACKLIVESMATTER from the church's property, the DOJ said. They burned the banner using lighter fluid and lighters at the intersection of 11th and E Streets NW.

Tarrio posted a picture of himself holding an unlit lighter just inches from ignited lighters in two other persons' hands to his Parler account, the DOJ said. He also admitted to burning the banner on social media and to media outlets.

When he returned to Washington, D.C., on Jan 4, he was arrested on a warrant charging him with the Dec. 12 destruction of property offense.

While searching his bookbag at the time of his arrest, police found two high-capacity firearm magazines, each bearing the insignia of the Proud Boys, the DOJ said. Tarrio told detectives he intended to give the magazines to a customer who was also in Washington, D.C., at the time.