Henry Enrique Tarrio, Burning Black Lives Matter Banner, District of Columbia 2021

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Table of Contents

Florida Man Pleads Guilty to Burning Black Lives Matter Banner

WASHINGTON – In a shocking turn of events, 37-year-old Henry “Enrique” Tarrio, a member of the far-right group Proud Boys, pleaded guilty to charges related to the burning of a Black Lives Matter banner stolen from a downtown Washington church. Tarrio, of Miami, Florida, admitted to the crimes in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, where he faces a maximum sentence of 180 days’ imprisonment and/or a $1,000 fine for each offense.

The banner, which read “#BLACKLIVESMATTER” and contained the logo and website address of the Asbury United Methodist Church, was stolen on the evening of December 12, 2020, by a group of individuals affiliated with the Proud Boys. The group then burned the banner at the intersection of 11th and E Streets NW, using lighter fluid and lighters.

Tarrio posted a picture to his Parler social media account depicting himself holding an unlit lighter, inches from the ignited lighters in two other individuals’ hands. In the days that followed, Tarrio admitted to burning the banner on social media and in comments to numerous media outlets.

Tarrio returned to the District of Columbia from Florida on January 4, 2021, and was arrested on a warrant charging him with the December 12, 2020, destruction of property offense. A search of his book bag, conducted at the time of his arrest, revealed two high-capacity firearm magazines, each bearing the insignia of the Proud Boys.

Tarrio told detectives that he had intended to transfer the magazines to a customer who was also going to be present in the District of Columbia. In announcing the plea, Acting U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips and Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department Robert J. Contee III commended the work of those who investigated the case and those who are prosecuting the matter.

A court order has been issued, requiring Tarrio to stay away from the District of Columbia while pending sentencing, which is scheduled for August 23, 2021, before the Honorable Harold L. Cushenberry, Jr.