On Wednesday, Kenneth Bonawitz was sentenced for multiple crimes he committed during the Jan 6 riot. Bonawitz is a member of the Proud Boys, a far-right extremist group.
Admitting guilt
Last year, Bonawitz pled guilty to three felony charges related to his participation in the Jan 6 insurrection. The charges included civil disorder and assaulting a law enforcement officer.
Prepared for war
Bonawitz “came to the Capitol prepared for violence,” federal prosecutors alleged. They described him as “one of the more violent Jan 6 rioters.”
Items held
According to the Justice Department, Bonawitz had an 8-inch knife with him during the Jan 6 riot. He also attacked officers, tackling one and putting another in a chokehold.
Severe damage
According to the US Attorney’s Office, one of the officers Bonawitz attacked was injured severely enough to be forced into retirement. The officer had been a first responder on Sept 11, 2001.
Widespread damage
The Justice Department has estimated that over 140 Capitol officers were injured during the riots. However, on the third anniversary of the attack, one prosecutor said at a press conference that he thought that figure “undercounts the number of officers who were physically injured, let alone those who have suffered trauma as a result of the day’s events.”
Plenty of criminals
According to the Justice Department, as of Jan 6, 2024, over 1,265 individuals have been charged in relation to the riot. Of those, over 700 have pleaded guilty to various federal charges.
Violent actions
More than 120 people have been charged with “using a deadly or dangerous weapon or causing serious bodily injury to an officer.” Almost 90 have pleaded guilty to “federal charges of assaulting law enforcement officers.”
Prison and a fine
Bonawitz was sentenced to 60 months in prison. He must also pay $2,000.
Personal details
The 58-year-old Pompano Beach, Florida, resident was first arrested in January 2023. He is a member of the Miami chapter of the Proud Boys.
Hate group
The Proud Boys have been designated a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. In February 2021, the Canadian government designated the group as a terrorist entity.
Deep connection
“There is no doubt that members of the Proud Boys played a key role in the violent attack on the Capitol and our democracy on Jan 6, 2021,” a senior researcher at the Southern Poverty Law Center stated in December 2022. The group’s participation was “an effort to disrupt the transfer of power — by force,” the researcher said.
Deeply planned
“The Proud Boys’ participation in the insurrection was the culmination of years of activism,” the researcher continued, “which included organizing violent rallies across the country, building a widespread network of dozens of individual chapters, fundraising to support their activities, and spreading propaganda that justified their acts of intimidation and violence.”
Prosecute the guilty
“It is of the utmost importance that the Proud Boys, and all those who helped plan and perpetrate the attack on Jan 6, be held accountable,” the researcher concluded. “Without such accountability, our democracy will continue to be at risk.”
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