PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The federal government is seeking a 30-year prison sentence for the former president of the Philadelphia Proud Boys — one of the longest sentences of any Jan. 6, 2021 participant.
Zach Rehl was convicted in May of six counts, including seditious conspiracy and conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding. Prosecutors said his criminal offenses on Jan. 6 were “some of the most serious in our nation’s history.”
In a 17-page sentencing memo Thursday, federal prosecutors say Rehl served a key logistical role and “led a fighting force to the Capitol on January 6.” They detail how Rehl led a group of 200 people from the Washington Monument to the Capitol, then encouraged rioters at the initial breach.
Prosecutors say a lengthy prison sentence is warranted as Rehl has “blamed everyone except for himself for the situation he is in,” and “being convicted alone will not deter Rehl from committing future offenses.”
The memo continues: “[Rehl] committed a crime of terrorism on January 6, and the Court should not hesitate to impose a sentence that reflects the seriousness of the crime and its threat to our nation.”
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But Rehl’s lawyer says even a decade behind bars is excessive.
Rehl has been in federal custody since March 2021. His lawyer is asking for time served, noting that Rehl was found not guilty of assaulting a federal officer.
He says holding Rehl responsible for the actions of others “would be particularly egregious.”
Rehl has already “paid a steep and heavy price,” his lawyer adds, spending months in solitary confinement, losing his disability pension from the military, and being deprived of being “a loving, stable, and consistent presence” in the life of his now 2-year-old daughter.
The longest sentence handed down to date is 18 years for Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes. Prosecutors are seeking 33-year prison terms for two of Rehl’s co-defendants, National Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio and organizer Joseph Biggs.