Proud Boys leader Henry “Enrique” Tarrio unsuccessfully asked a judge Friday to call off a hearing scheduled after he was deemed a “loss of contact” while awaiting trial for charges he faces in D.C.
Mr. Tarrio, of Miami, Florida, claimed in a court filing to have resolved communication issues that recently led D.C. Superior Court Judge Robert Okun to order the show cause hearing set for Monday.
Judge Okun had scheduled the hearing after being told Mr. Tarrio failed to obey the conditions of a court order requiring that he verify his address and report weekly by phone to pretrial services.
Mr. Tarrio is free pending trial for charges of possessing two large-capacity ammunition magazines, but Judge Okun threatened to revoke the conditions of his release for allegedly violating them.
Lucas I. Dansie, Mr. Tarrio’s lawyer in the matter, said they discussed the issues with his Pretrial Services Agency officer on Wednesday this week and concluded the hearing was no longer needed.
Mr. Tarrio verified his address during a phone call, and the pretrial services officer confirmed she received a voicemail from him a week earlier, Mr. Danise wrote in a motion to vacate the hearing.
“The defense is pleased to announce to this Court that Mr. Tarrio’s outstanding pretrial conditions of release have been addressed and resolved,” Mr. Dansie told the court.
Acting U.S. Attorney Michael R. Sherwin, the top federal law enforcement officer in D.C., filed a motion later Friday opposing the defense’s request and insisting the hearing still happen.
Mr. Tarrio “has flagrantly and continuously disregarded his pretrial release conditions,” countered Mr. Sherwin, saying he failed to report for an entire month before deemed a loss of contact.
“In view of defendant’s numerous failures to comply with his pretrial release conditions,” Mr. Sherwin continued, “[…] the government opposes defendant’s request and believes that judicial inquiry into defendant’s alleged violations remains appropriate.”
Judge Okun issued an order denying the defendant’s motion early Friday evening, effectively leaving Monday’s motion in place.
Members of the mens-only Proud Boys group traveled from around the country to D.C. last month to participate in protests held in opposition to former President Trump losing his race for re-election.
Weeks earlier, a group of uniformed Proud Boys stole a “Black Lives Matter” sign from a historic Black church in D.C. and then set it on fire. In the interim, Mr. Tarrio said he was among them.
Mr. Tarrio, the self-described chairman of the Proud Boys, was subsequently arrested for destruction of property when he returned to D.C. on Jan. 4. He was banned from the District the next day.
Several other known or alleged members of the Proud Boys have since been charged with federal crimes related to the deadly rioting that occurred at the U.S. Capitol the following day.
• Andrew Blake can be reached at ablake@washingtontimes.com.
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