The Proud Boys leader, who was arrested in Washington shortly before the Capitol Uprising, previously worked in secret and collaborated with investigators after he was accused of fraud in 2012, according to court documents.
Henry “Enrique” Tarrio helped law enforcement in several investigations nearly a decade ago by providing information and secrecy, according to records.
The Proud Boys is a far-right chauvinist extremist group that took over the policies of the Trump administration and was a major agitator during previous protests and the January 6 Capitol Uprising. breaking the current system of government and therefore Tarrio’s revelations as a federal informant were a surprise.
Details of Tarrio’s cooperation, which was first reported Wednesday by Reuters, were found in a transcript of a 2014 hearing in a Florida federal court over his sentence to participate in a scheme involving resale of diabetic test strips.
Tarrio’s prosecutor and defense attorney cited Tarrio’s extensive cooperation in arguing that his 30-month sentence should be cut. The judge agreed to reduce his sentence to 16 months, according to records.
“Honestly, honestly, in all these years, which I’ve been doing for over 30 years now, I’ve never had such a prolific client in terms of cooperation in any aspect,” Tarrio’s lawyer said at the time, Jeffrey Feiler, according to the transcript.
A lawyer representing Tarrio did not immediately return an email seeking comments on his current case. In an interview with Reuters, Tarrio denied ever collaborating with authorities.
Following Tarrio’s indictment in 2012, he helped the government prosecute more than a dozen more people, the federal prosecutor told the judge. Tarrio’s lawyer said he was the first defendant to cooperate in the case and that he was also involved in several covert police operations related to prescription anabolic and narcotic steroids.
“From day one, he was the one who wanted to talk to law enforcement, he wanted to erase his name, he wanted to straighten it out so he could continue his life. And, in fact, he has collaborated in a significant way, “the prosecutor said, according to the transcript.
Tarrio was arrested in Washington on Jan. 4, two days before the pro-Trump crowd stormed the Capitol to try to nullify President Joe Biden’s victory.
He was accused of vandalizing a Black Lives Matter banner in a historic black church during a previous protest in the country’s capital. The banner was ripped from the Asbury United Methodist Church property, ripped off and set on fire in December.
According to a police report, Tarrio was seen with the video sign of the incident posted on YouTube. When police dragged Tarrio, officers found two unloaded magazines with the Proud Boys logo in the bag that had a capacity of 30 rounds each, authorities reported.
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Richer reported from Boston. Associated Press reporter Curt Anderson in St. Petersburg, Florida, contributed to this report.