>> Announcer: THIS IS "NBC NIGHTLY NEWS" WITH LESTER HOLT.
>> GOOD EVENING AND
WELCOME.
THE PROUD BOYS, THE
FAR-RIGHT GROUP
DESCRIBED BY
PROSECUTORS AS THE
CHIEF INSTIGATORS OF
THE JANUARY 6th ATTACK
ON THE CAPITOL WATCHED
THEIR FORMER LEADER GO
DOWN TODAY UNDER THE
WEIGHT OF A 22-YEAR
PRISON SENTENCE, THE
LONGEST SENTENCE OF
ANY JANUARY 6th
DEFENDANT SO FAR.
ENRIQUE TARRIO, WHO
THE GOVERNMENT ACCUSED
OF DIRECTING SOME OF
THE ACTIONS OF THAT
DAY WAS CONVICTED OF
SEDITIOUS CONSPIRACY.
JUST BEFORE SENTENCING
TODAY, A CONTRITE
TARRIO APOLOGIZED TO
LAW ENFORCEMENT,
LAWMAKERS, AND HIS
FAMILY AND TOLD THE
COURT "I WAS MY OWN
WORST ENEMY."
HIS SENTENCE FOLLOWS
THE FATE OF FOUR OTHER
PROUD BOYS MEMBERS WHO
ALSO RECEIVED HARSH
SENTENCES LAST WEEK,
ALL ACCUSED OF USING
VIOLENCE TO TRY AND
KEEP THEN PRESIDENT
DONALD TRUMP IN POWER.
ONE OF THE CHARGES
OBSTRUCTING AN
OFFICIAL PROCEEDING
HAS ALSO BEEN LEVELLED
AGAINST MR. TRUMP IN A
SEPARATE INDICTMENT.
HE HAS PLEADED NOT
GUILTY.
LET’S GET MORE NOW
FROM KEN DILANIAN.
>> WHAT ARE WE HERE
FOR?
TO STOP THE STEAL!
>> Reporter: TONIGHT,
A CENTRAL FIGURE IN
THE ATTACK ON THE U.S.
CAPITOL HAS BEEN
HANDED THE STIFFEST
PRISON SENTENCE SO
FAR.
A JUDGE RULED THAT
ENRIQUE TARRIO,
ONE-TIME LEADER OF THE
FAR-RIGHT PROUD BOYS,
WILL SPEND 22 YEARS
BEHIND BARS.
WHILE NOT PHYSICALLY
PRESENT DURING THE
JANUARY 6th RIOT, HE
DIRECTED OTHERS AND
CELEBRATED AFTERWARDS,
SAYING IN A TEXT
MESSAGE, "MAKE NO
MISTAKE, WE DID THIS."
PROSECUTORS HAD SOUGHT
33 YEARS FOR TARRIO,
BUT JUDGE TIMOTHY
KELLY DECIDED THAT WAS
TOO LONG.
KELLY ALSO SENTENCED
FOUR OTHER PROUD BOYS
LAST WEEK TO LENGTHY
PRISON TERMS, BUT FAR
LESS THAN PROSECUTORS
HAD ASKED FOR.
SOME OF THEM SEEN HERE
AT THE CAPITOL.
>> AMERICAN CITIZENS
ARE STORMING THE
CAPITOL, TAKING IT
BACK RIGHT NOW.
THERE IS MILLIONS OF
PEOPLE OUT HERE.
THIS [ BLEEP ] CRAZY.
>> THIS IS HISTORY.
>> Reporter: TARRIO
AND THREE OTHER PROUD
BOYS WERE CONVICTED IN
MAY OF SEDITIOUS
CONSPIRACY.
PROSECUTORS SAID THEIR
GOAL WAS TO
ORCHESTRATE VIOLENCE
TO KEEP THEN PRESIDENT
TRUMP IN OFFICE, AND
THAT THE PROUD BOYS
WERE BEHIND EVERY
MAJOR BREACH OF THE
CAPITOL DURING THE
ATTACK.
AFTERWARDS ON CNN,
TARRIO RIDICULED
MEMBERS OF CONGRESS
WHO HUDDLED IN FEAR AS
RIOTERS BREACHED THE
BUILDING.
>> I’M NOT GOING TO
TRY ABOUT A GROUP OF
PEOPLE THAT DON’T GIVE
A CRAP ABOUT THEIR
CONSTITUENTS.
>> Reporter: BUT A
DIFFERENT TONE IN
COURT TODAY, TELLING
THE JUDGE, "I AM NOT A
POLITICAL ZEALOT," AND
SAYING TO THE MEN AND
WOMEN OF LAW
ENFORCEMENT WHO
ANSWERED THE CALL THAT
DAY, I’M SORRY.
>> KEN, THIS SENTENCE
IS FOUR YEARS LONGER
THAN THE PREVIOUS
LONGEST SENTENCE FOR
JANUARY 6th.
>> THAT’S RIGHT,
LESTER.
AND THERE HAVE BEEN
OVER 1100 CRIMINAL
CASES SO FAR.
THE JUDGE CALLED
TARRIO’S APOLOGY