A federal judge has dismissed the remaining criminal convictions against four members of the Proud Boys who were found guilty of serious crimes related to the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly signed the order on Friday, officially ending the government's case against Ethan Nordean, Joseph Biggs, Zachary Rehl, and Dominic Pezzola. The dismissal follows a request from the Department of Justice, which sought to vacate the verdicts after President Donald Trump’s administration moved to abandon the prosecution.
These four men were among the high-profile defendants convicted in 2023 for their roles in the Capitol riot. While three of the men were found guilty of seditious conspiracy—a rare charge involving plots to use force against the government—Pezzola was convicted of other felonies, including assaulting a police officer and destroying government property. Their convictions had remained in place even after President Trump issued a broad clemency order last year that pardoned roughly 1,500 other individuals involved in the January 6 events.
In his memorandum, Judge Kelly noted that he was legally bound to grant the government's motion to dismiss, as the executive branch holds the authority to decide whether to continue a prosecution. However, the judge, who was appointed by President Trump during his first term, made it clear that his ruling was not an endorsement of the administration's decision. He described the January 6 riot as a perilous event and an assault on the peaceful transfer of power.
This decision marks the conclusion of one of the most significant legal chapters stemming from the Capitol attack. While the Justice Department has not provided detailed reasons for its move to drop these specific cases, the action aligns with the administration's broader efforts to reverse the government's previous legal strategy regarding the January 6 investigations. The dismissal was issued with prejudice, meaning these specific charges cannot be brought against the defendants again.