Court Battles

Proud Boys member sentenced to prison on Jan. 6 charges after insulting judge

Proud Boys member Marc Bru has been sentenced to six years in prison on charges related to storming the Capitol on Jan. 6 after he insulted the judge who punished him.

Bru repeatedly interrupted Chief Judge James Boasberg, calling him a “clown” and a “fraud” presiding over a “kangaroo court.” Boasberg warned him that he could be kicked out of the courtroom if he continued, The Associated Press (AP) reported.

“You can give me 100 years and I’d do it all over again,” said Bru, who was handcuffed and shackled. Boasberg determined Bru had no remorse.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) said in a statement that Bru, a resident of Vancouver, Washington, was also fined $7,946 and owes $2,000 in restitution.

Bru, a member of the far-right Proud Boys militia group from Washington state, was found guilty in October of felonies related to the insurrection, including obstruction of an official proceeding, civil disorder and multiple misdemeanors for participating in the riots and entering the Capitol building.



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Prosecutors described Bru as one of the least remorseful rioters who participated in the insurrection. Bru planned for a “January 6 2.0” attack to take over the government in Portland, Ore., just weeks after the riot in Washington, D.C., the AP reported.

“He wanted a repeat of January 6, only he implied this time would be more violent,” prosecutors said.

The DOJ said Bru charged the makeshift barricades police officers made with a bicycle rack and used his body weight to push against it. Bru did not attend the “Stop the Steal” rally hosted by former President Trump, authorities said, adding that he joined other rioters inside the Capitol and entered the Senate gallery and in total, spent about 13 minutes inside.

Bru had failed to appear at two court hearings since June. He represented himself in court and had an attorney on standby, the AP reported.

Prosecutors recommended Bru be sentenced to seven years and three months in prison.

More than 1,200 people have been charged with crimes related to storming the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. About 900 have pleaded guilty, and more than 750 have been sentenced, with two-thirds receiving imprisonment, data compiled by the AP found.

–Updated at 2:39 p.m.