Proud Boys member of Rochester sentenced to 10 years in prison
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WASHINGTON — Dominic Pezzola, the Proud Boys member of Rochester convicted for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison on Friday.
Pezzola can be seen on video smashing a window at the U.S. Capitol with a stolen police shield. He was found guilty of several charges for participating in the riot that prosecutors say aimed to prevent the peaceful transfer of power from Donald Trump to Joe Biden after the 2020 presidential election.
Pezzola was found guilty of charges including obstruction of an official proceeding, conspiracy to prevent Congress from discharging duties, and assaulting/impeding law enforcement in May.
However, he was found not guilty of the most serious charge, seditious conspiracy. The jury convicted four other members of the extremist group Proud Boys on that charge. Two of those members, Joseph Biggs and Zachary Rehl, learned on Thursday that they will spend 17 and 15 years in prison, respectively.
During the trial, Pezzola testified in his defense, admitting that he smashing the window but saying he wasn’t part of a plot to interfere with the presidency. News10NBC spoke with Politico reporter who covered Pezzola’s testimony.
Proud Boys member Dominic Pezzola inside the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.Manuel Balce Ceneta / AP file
During Friday’s sentencing, Pezzola apologized for his actions on Jan. 6 and for lashing out at the prosecution during the trial.
“I never should have crossed a barrier at the Capitol that day, the first of many mistakes I made… I am truly sorry,” he said.
Pezzola’s wife, Lisa Magee, said that her daughters have been bullied at school because of what their dad did. She called her husband an idiot for his actions.
“My children have fallen into depressions, they have lost friends, they have lost family, and that’s very hard as a mother to not be able to protect them,” she said.