'Proud Boy' From Delco Gets Prison After January 6 Guilty Plea: Feds

UPPER DARBY, PA — A Delaware County man will spend time in federal prison after pleading guilty to charges related to the Jan. 6, 2021 breach of the United States Capitol building, federal authorities said.

Brian Healion, 33, of Upper Darby, was sentenced to 100 days in prison, 36 months of supervised release, and ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution Tuesday.

Healion pleaded guilty to a felony charge of civil disorder earlier this year. The charge was related to his conduct on Jan. 6, 2021, authorities said. His actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election, according to authorities.

Federal law enforcement said Healion is a member of the Philadelphia chapter of the Proud Boys, whose members describe it as a politically incorrect men’s club for "Western chauvinists." Parts of the initiation reportedly include being punched while naming breakfast cereals, abstaining from masturbation, and starting fights.

Authorities said Healion and other Proud Boys traveled to Washington, D.C., to protest Congress's certification of the Electoral College vote for the 2020 presidential election.

Healion was a member of the Ministry of Self Defense, a hand-selected sub-group within the Proud Boys created by former Proud Boys Chairman Henry "Enrique" Tarrio as a "national rally planning" chapter, authorities said. Tarrio was later confirmed to have worked as an information for the federal government for about two years after Jan. 6, 2021.

In the days leading up to Jan. 6, 2021, court documents alleged that Healion knew Congress was meeting at the Capitol that day to certify the votes of the 2020 Presidential Election.

Healion posted a message in a chat with other members of the Ministry of Self Defense that said: "What time is the whole political/presidential situation happening that day? With pence and the electoral votes? And are we planning for either an unlikely joyous moment of pence [sic] growing balls?"

The morning of Jan. 6, 2021, Healion met with about 100 other members of the Proud Boys at the Washington Monument and followed Proud Boys leadership – including Ethan Nordean and Philadelphia Proud Boys President Zachary Rehl, who was sentenced to 15 years in prison for his role – on a march toward the Capitol building.

Shortly thereafter, as the group marched past U.S. Capitol Police officers at about 11:28 a.m., members of the group taunted them, yelling "treason," and warning the officers, "don't make us go against you."

Healion and the group marched around the perimeter of the Capitol grounds before arriving at the Peace Circle at the edge of the restricted perimeter of Capitol grounds.

By the time he arrived at the U.S. Capitol, Healion hid his face using a black gaiter, authorities said.

Proud Boys leadership then led the crowd, including Healion, in a chant and a surge toward the police line.

That's when authorities said Healion and others crossed over and trampled bike rack barriers in their advance toward the Capitol building.

Once on Capitol grounds, Healion helped other rioters with crossing back and forth over the police line and witnessed other rioters engage with officers by attempting to pull bike rack barricades away from the police, authorities said.

Healion then moved to the front of the crowd opposite the line of officers and reached out to try and grab a bike, according to authorities. Court documents allege Healion tried to grab the bike rack to interfere with the officers' efforts to maintain a police line and that less than a minute later, Healion succeeded when he again reached out toward the bike rack, grabbed it, and yanked it away from a Metropolitan Police Department Officer.

Authorities said Healion then followed other Proud Boys to the Upper West Terrace of the building and eventually into the building at about 2:53 p.m. through the Senate Wing Door.

Once inside, Healion and others entered the office of a U.S. Senator and posed for pictures. After spending about 20 minutes inside the building, Healion and other members of the Proud Boys exited via a broken window.

Healion was taken into custody by the FBI on Dec. 10, 2021, in Upper Darby.