Biggs Sentencing Memo
Biggs Sentencing Memo
Biggs Sentencing Memo
The evidence at trial demonstrated that Biggs was a vocal leader and influential proponent
of the group’s shift toward political violence. Biggs’s close relationship with Tarrio made him
among the most trusted of the MOSD leaders, and Biggs’s outsized public profile provided a
platform from which the conspirators could project their message and rally support. Biggs
employed his military experience to direct and control large groups of men under his command.
Biggs brought all of these talents to bear as he prepared for and led a revolt against the
government in an effort to stop the peaceful transfer of power. More than perhaps any other, Biggs
appreciated the tactical advantage that his force had that day, and he understood the significance
of his actions against his own government. Biggs understood that the outnumbered forces
attempting to hold the Capitol would be powerless due to his side’s overwhelming numbers. And
he exploited that advantage over and over again at Breaches 1, 2, 3, and 4. Biggs recognized his
own actions in the days following January 6 for what they were—an act of terrorism. See Ex. 611-
D (In a podcast filmed days after the event, Biggs explained that January 6th was a “warning shot
to the government – look, we started this country this way and we’ll fuckin’ save it this way” and
he went on to explain that people forget that the founding fathers were “considered terrorists.”).
Biggs’s guidelines range—after the application of the adjustment for Biggs’s crime of
terrorism—rightly reflects the seriousness of his assault on our government and Biggs’s leading
Joeseph Biggs was convicted of Counts One through Six. The Sentencing Guidelines are
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All of these counts group. Accordingly, the total adjusted offense level for Biggs is 38 for
the federal crime of terrorism in Count Six. As explained in the government’s Sentencing
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Memorandum , under Section 3A1.4(b), Biggs’s Criminal History Category is increased to VI,
The application of the terrorism enhancement under Section 3A1.4 captures the severity of
Biggs’s actions and the danger posed by Biggs and his co-conspirators’ conduct on January 6. A
arrived at the Capitol to lead a revolution against a government that he viewed as illegitimate. Like
Tarrio and Nordean, Biggs viewed himself and his movement as a second American revolution
where he and the other “patriots” would retake the government by force.
The jury’s guilty verdicts on Count One (seditious conspiracy) constitute a specific
finding—beyond a reasonable doubt—that Tarrio, Nordean, Biggs, and Rehl “conspired or agreed
with at least one other person with the goal of opposing by force the authority of the Government
of the United States” and of “preventing, hindering, or delaying the execution of any law of the
United States by force.” ECF 767 (Jury Instruction) at 21; ECF 804 (Verdict Form) at 1. This
finding, consistent with the facts accurately summarized in the draft presentence report, plainly
establishes that the defendants’ crimes were calculated to influence or retaliate against the
government by force or coercion. See United States v. Dowell, 430 F.3d 1100, 1110 (10th Cir.
2005).
Perhaps more than any other defendant, Biggs promoted the use of force against the
government. Beginning in the days after the election, Biggs declared that the country could face
“civil war” because the “left” was “radicalizing people by stealing th[e] election.” Ex. 603-1 and
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-2. Biggs told his followers that it was “time for fucking War if they steal this shit.” Ex. 603-4.
Biggs steadily escalated his calls for political violence. During an episode of the “Warboys”
podcast with Tarrio and Nordean in late November, Biggs demonized the “party” that was telling
the public to accept the result of the election. Biggs closed his diatribe by saying that “they are evil
scum and they all deserve to die a traitor’s death.” Biggs Ex. 1. Biggs’s comment prompted
Nordean to calmly lean toward his microphone and say, “the day of the rope.” Id.
Biggs’s calls for political violence escalated throughout the fall, and he consistently called
for war while characterizing his enemies (which included government actors such as the police) as
traitors. The critical issue to Biggs was the stolen election, and he tied his calls to violence to the
election. For example, in late November, in a post on his social media, Biggs warned officers in
Michigan (a state won by Biden) that if they stopped electors from casting a vote for Trump, the
people would “treat your thin[] blue line like we do antifa . . . get in our way and get walked over.”
Ex. 603-33. Biggs declared that the officers would be “tried for treason” and that “[w]e aren[‘]t
Throughout the fall, Biggs celebrated election-related violence by the Proud Boys. In
November, Biggs posted a video of a woman being knocked unconscious with a helmet to the face
and he separately proclaimed that the Proud Boys had “one hell of a day” in which they had
“whipped commie ass.” Ex. 603-13 and -14. In the leadup to the December rally, which Biggs
attended, Biggs posted that he was “ready to rumble.” Ex. 603-27. Immediately after the rally,
Biggs declared that the Proud Boys had “whooped their asses.” Ex. 603-32. Biggs then complained
about the vilification of the Proud Boys, and he called for action: “The time is now. Will you
submit. Obey and kneel. Or will you stand with us and fight back. We are the future. We are 1776.”
Ex. 603-32.
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Biggs’s calls for action accelerated as January 6 approached, and Biggs well understood
the pivotal importance of January 6 to the election process. Ex. 603-44, -50, and -53 (commenting
on anticipated objections to the certification). Biggs encouraged Tarrio to “get radical and get real
men” just hours after former President Trump announced plans for a rally on January 6. After
episode upon episode of violence by the Proud Boys, Biggs knew that taking on the government
With the Ministry of Self Defense and those “real men” in place, Biggs encouraged action
against the government. In an exchange with other leaders of the Ministry of Self Defense on
January 1, other leaders called for the Proud Boys to re-evaluate their “disposition toward the
police” with another leader saying he was “ready for the escalation.” Ex. 501-50. In a chilling
comment given the attack that Biggs would soon lead, Biggs agreed with others that the Proud
Boys could have “ran [police] the fuck over” during their last visit to D.C. Id. Biggs told the others
that he wanted to “fuck shit up” and that he was “ready to just be the Zamboni [and] roll over
mother fuckers.” Id. The very next day, Biggs was again on social media expressing vitriol at
“most law enforcement departments in metropolitan areas” that were not on the side “of the
people.” Ex. 603-54. Biggs said those law enforcement were protecting left-wingers and
Biggs’s comments were not limited to the police, and he hinted at something larger. In an
exchange on December 23, 2020, he told another user that he was not “gonna say things that’ll put
me in jail tonight” but that “[w]e all know what needs to be done.” Ex. 603-39. Shortly after the
new year, Biggs announced on social media that 2021 was the year that “we take back America.”
The next day, Biggs expressed his anger at every law makers that breaks their own laws, Biggs
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stated that they “should be dragged out of office and hung.” Biggs declared that the “government
should fear the people. Not the other way around.” Ex. 603-55.
On January 6, Biggs played a central role in the attack. As Nordean, Biggs, and Rehl led
the men to the Capitol, Biggs and Nordean addressed the men through a megaphone—telling them
that the police and their government had failed them. E.g., Ex. 1000 at 4:10-5:33. Nordean, Biggs,
and Rehl led the men to Peace Circle, at the edge of the restricted portion of Capitol grounds, at
approximately 12:50 p.m. Prior to their arrival, Peace Circle was uncrowded and relatively
peaceful. Ex. 1001 at 00:10-00:32. Biggs led the crowd in chants that included “Whose house?
Our house!” and “Whose Capitol? Our Capitol!” Id. at 4:17-4:40 & 6:25 et seq. These chants had
not been used on January 6 by the defendants prior to that moment. E.g., Tr. 5493:11-14 (Greene);
Biggs acted as the tip of the spear throughout the attack on January 6. He was among the
first wave across the First Street barrier, he tore down the fence at Breach 2, he repositioned
himself and charged up the scaffolding at Breach 3, and he was among the first rioters into the
Capitol at Breach 4. And his effort did not end there. It is particularly noteworthy that Biggs re-
entered a second time through the Columbus Doors on the east side of the Capitol and traveled
directly to the Senate Chamber on his second entry. Finding the Chamber empty of Senators, Biggs
must have believed it was mission accomplished. It was not until later that night, when Congress
resumed, that Biggs acknowledged the failure of his actions—he posted on social media “R.I.P.
Were there any remaining doubt as to Biggs’s intent during the attack, Biggs recorded a
podcast-style interview that he had saved as “CivilWar.mp4” in which he made clear that his
actions were intended to send a message to the government. Biggs called January 6 a “warning
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shot” to the government that showed them “how weak they truly are” after being “bitch-slapped
on their own home turf.” Ex. 611-B and -D. Biggs reiterated that it had been “a warning shot to
the government – look, we started this country this way and we’ll fuckin’ save it this way” and he
went on to explain that people forget that the founding fathers were “considered terrorists.” Ex.
611-D. And Biggs also acknowledged the brilliance of the strategy in storming the Capitol with a
large crowd—explicitly rejecting that police had let people in. Ex. 611-B. Biggs explained that
“when you’re holding a position like a fort and you’re being overrun . . . and you’re outnumbered
Biggs committed a crime of terrorism on January 6, and the Court should not hesitate to
impose a sentence that reflects the seriousness of the crime and its threat to our nation—as reflected
the criminal enterprise. Tarrio hand-selected Nordean and Biggs to act as the leaders of the newly
created Ministry of Self Defense (“MOSD”). Nordean and Biggs took command of the MOSD
following Tarrio’s arrest. Biggs told the other leaders that he was organizing the men on the ground
and had just spoken with Tarrio. Ex. 509-23 (“We just had a meeting w[i]th a lot of guys”; “I was
able to rally everyone here together who came where I said” (emphasis added)). And Biggs assured
Biggs maintained his leadership position throughout the day on January 6. He and Nordean
were the unequivocal leaders on the ground. Biggs and Nordean held sway over not only their
men, but also members of the public revered them and saw them as heroes. See Tr. 14791 (Block)
(“People in the conservative movement . . . have certain things that we appeal . . .[like] big strong
men.”). As Biggs and Nordean marched their men away from the planned speeches on the Mall,
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Biggs used the megaphone to rally his men to action. Biggs encouraged his men to march through
“this fucking city that’s our goddamn city,” and Biggs directed “let’s go fucking kick some
goddamn ass.” Ex. 1000 at 5:00 et. seq. The march culminated at the Capitol at 12:50 p.m., where
Biggs again took the megaphone and led the angry crowd in chants: “Whose Capitol? Our
Biggs continued to lead the men on the grounds of the Capitol. He led them up the First
Street walkway. See Ex. 404-D. He led them in destroying the black metal fence. Ex. 445-Bx at
0:30 et. seq. (calling out to “Rufio” to join him to tear apart the fence). He led them to regroup on
the lawn. Ex. 404-LL; Tr. 12378:2 – 12379:10 (Miller). He climbed the concrete stairs and then
turned to face Nordean and others on the lawn, waving and pointing for them to come up using the
same stairs. Ex. 414-Ax. Biggs then led two other Proud Boys into the building. Biggs exited and
took selfies with a group of other Proud Boys and filmed a video in which he declared, “we’ve
taken the Capitol.” See, e.g., Ex. 405-I. Biggs then made a second entry into the Capitol through
the Columbus Doors as part of a tactical line with other Proud Boys. Ex. 433-C, 172x. Biggs led
Biggs served as an instigator and leader of his men in the attack on the Capitol. Throughout
the attack, Biggs maintained command over others and led them in a relentless effort to send a
“message” to the government that he and his men were prepared to “save” the country by force.
Through his actions in preparing for and carrying out the attack, Biggs earned a four-point
C. Biggs obstructed justice by lying to federal officers about his conduct at the
Capitol
The PSR correctly applies a two point adjustment for obstruction of justice. Biggs PSR
¶ 100. Biggs engaged in two separate interviews with the FBI prior to his arrest on January 20,
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2021. He flagrantly lied to protect himself and others from prosecution, and his lies were
During his first interview with the FBI on January 8, 2021, which was summarized in an
FBI 302, Biggs acknowledged that he was present at the protests, but claimed that he never made
entry inside the Capitol building itself. Biggs Ex. 2. In fact, Biggs entered the Capitol twice.
On January 17, 2021, a tranche of videos that were taken during the attack and posted to
the social media site Parler were made public. 1 One of those videos showed Biggs’s entry into the
Capitol and recorded him saying, “this is awesome!” Ex. 448. Biggs contacted the FBI on January
18, 2021, and made plans to meet with the FBI the same day.
The interview on January 18 was audio recorded. Biggs Ex. 3. Biggs was explicitly advised
that lying to a federal officer is a crime. Id. at 0:45 et. seq. Biggs lied repeatedly to protect himself
and others:
- Biggs denied being with anyone he knew while he was inside the Capitol. Id. at 19:50
et. seq. (Q: “were you with anybody?” A: “No. I was lost. Like I didn’t know where
to fucking go. I was by myself and I was scared shitless.”).
- Biggs was asked again later in the interview whether there was anyone else with him.
Biggs again claimed that he was separated and didn’t see anyone else he knew until
after he left the Capitol. Id. at 25:45 et. seq. (Q: “Was there anyone else in your group
that was in the Capitol?” A: [Pause] “Um, I mean, there had to have been.” Q: “You
said you got separated, right?” A: “Yeah. I got separated. I didn’t see people until
afterwards. I finally found people scraggling [sic] around running, you know, looking
for people like me.”)
- After initially denying breaking anything, Biggs was asked again whether there was
anything else that was “worth sharing.” Twenty-four minutes into the interview, Biggs
acknowledged “shaking” a black metal fence, but he claimed that he was only doing it
because people were getting “pinned [] against it.” Id. at 24:25 et. seq. (Biggs: “I was
shaking [the fence] at one point to get it loose so people could move and wouldn’t get
pinned up against it” Biggs: “There was one guy who was pinned up against the fence
like literally screaming; the pole was dug into his belly, and there was so much force
1
ProPublica, What Parler Saw During the Attack on the Capitol (Jan. 17, 2021), available at
https://projects.propublica.org/parler-capitol-videos/ (last accessed Aug. 17, 2023).
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from all the people around him, he couldn’t even breath . . . I thought that dude was
gonna get hurt bad.”)
incarceration is further justified by the nature and circumstances of Biggs’s individualized conduct,
his personal history and characteristics, and the need to protect the public from future crimes by
Biggs.
enhancement for his role in the offense. This guideline application, however, only partially
captures the aggravated role that Biggs played in the overall events of January 6.
Apart from being a leader of MOSD, Biggs also played a critical role in the broader
riot. Video footage from moments before the first breach shows Biggs with a megaphone leading
the crowd in chants like “Whose Capitol? Our Capitol!” See Ex. 1001 at 6:25 et. seq. His
subsequent actions show that this was not metaphor. As the riot progressed, Biggs continued to
play a leading role in propelling the crowd forward. He, along with Nordean and others, tore down
the black metal fence that cleared the way to lower west terrace at Breach 2. Then, with the fence
trampled underfoot and the crowd surging forward, Biggs moved toward the building while
waving his right hand forward in a sign of encouragement. See Ex. 417x at 1:00:
Similarly, after reaching the upper west terrace in the wake of Breach 3, Biggs moved to
top of the wall where he triumphantly raised his fists and signaled to the cheering crowd below
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what route they should take to join him up there. See Ex. 414-Ax; Tr. 12505 (Agent Miller: “He’s
Biggs is the only defendant in this case who entered the building twice: first on the heels
of the initial wave of rioters to enter at the Senate Connecting Corridor, and then again as part of
the violent breach of the Columbus Doors on the east side. During that second entry he brushed
past a Capitol Police officer, showing zero regard for the members of law enforcement who were
trying desperately to stem the flow of rioters into the building. Biggs is also the only defendant in
this case to enter one of the legislative chambers: he entered the Senate gallery with a group of his
men and took a “selfie” photo to commemorate their achievement. See Ex. 405-AA.
In his travels through the building, Biggs continuously showed callous disrespect for the
symbol of our democracy. Almost immediately upon entering, he stole an energy drink from an
unattended cantina area. Ex. 409-A. Later, while moving through a corridor, he casually knocked
down a rope barrier while walking past it. Ex. 129x. And, much like Nordean, he joined with his
accomplices to steal a flag: in Biggs’s case an American flag from outside the Senate Chaplain’s
office. Ex. 130. These instances of theft and vandalism are not defining features of the offense—
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far from it—but they do speak volumes about Biggs’s disdain for the Capitol building and the
One of the core aspects of Biggs’s biography (and a central part of his trial presentation 2)
is his military service. See Joint Ex. 1 (Stipulation Regarding Joseph Biggs Biographical Details);
Biggs PSR ¶ 163. Service to one’s country deserves recognition, and when the Court considers
Biggs’s personal history and characteristics, it can rightly consider the sacrifices and contributions
By the same token, however, the Court must give due consideration to the ways Biggs’s
military record aggravates his culpability. For starters, and to put it bluntly, Biggs should have
country, but that treachery is even more grave when the perpetrator once swore to “support and
defend the Constitution of the United States” and “bear true faith and allegiance to the same.” 10
U.S.C. § 502 (enlistment oath). Biggs was once entrusted to use of deadly force to defend
Americans’ freedoms, and he spent formative years absorbing the civic virtues that come with
military training and experience. Biggs knew firsthand that a heavy price is exacted, generation
after generation, for the preservation this country’s democratic institutions. And he knew the value
of those institutions, having served in countries less fortunate than our own—places where the use
of politically motivated violence has sadly been endemic. It was with this perspective that Biggs
likened his group’s actions at the Capitol to one of the most notorious episodes in American
history, the attack on Pearl Harbor, when he twice described January 6 as a day that would live in
2
See, e.g., Tr. 14380 – 14381 (opening statement: “Joe Biggs put his life on the line for [pointing
at jurors] you, for you, for you, for you, for each and every person in this room.”).
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Biggs’s military background also conferred on him status and abilities that made him a
more effective participant in this offense. More than most of his accomplices, Biggs understood
the tactical aspects of moving in groups and leveraging strength in numbers. See Ex. 611-B (Biggs
describing impossibility of “holding a position, like a fort” when “you’re outnumbered 100 to 1”).
It was also evident from his self-presentation, and from others’ reactions to him, that
Biggs’s Army service gave him substantial cachet within the Proud Boys. In the words of defense
witness Hendrick Block, Biggs was “a very big deal. . . . He’s an American hero.” Tr. 14997. Biggs
used this prominence to spread inflammatory, pro-violence rhetoric—often to the chagrin of other
members of the group. Along with the many examples cited above, the trial evidence included
Biggs’s public response to the “stand back and stand by” comment, which he took as a directive
from the President to “go fuck [Antifa] up!” Ex. 603-66. Almost immediately, multiple Proud Boy
Elders expressed serious concern that Biggs needed to “shut up or guys are gonna get hurt.” Ex.
500-3; see also Ex. 500-8 (“I’m worried about guys having to explain Biggs.”). Despite the
membership’s continuing unease toward Biggs, e.g. Ex. 514-36, Tarrio chose him as one of
MOSD’s senior leaders. This decision was not without cost: one of the Elders predicted, “I can see
you getting a shit load of pushback and drama if you stick biggs near those positions,” Ex. 500-
69, and another explained, “I voted no on the chapter because of Biggs,” Ex. 500-72. But Tarrio
persisted, defending his selection: “Biggs helps me organize…always has… While we’re at events
I depend on him and Rufio to make decisions.” Ex. 514-37. 3 The elevation of Biggs to MOSD’s
top-tier leadership, especially in the face of so much opposition, sent an unmistakable message
3
Tarrio had previously defended Biggs’s promotion of violence as the same “shit we’ve always
said.” Ex. 500-8.
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about the new chapter’s purposes and expectations. When prospective members were told to “fit
in or fuck off,” it was Biggs’s pro-violence philosophy that they were meant to “fit in” with.
radicalization on Biggs’s part; in fact, he himself used the word—“Let’s get radical”—in his
planning talks with Tarrio on the eve of MOSD’s formation. Ex. 525-5. More than any of his co-
defendants, Biggs constantly invoked the language of “war,” and in one such discussion with
Tarrio about being “ready to war,” Biggs boasted that he possessed “thousands of rounds and
guns.” Ex. 525-1. Although Biggs’s actions on January 6 thankfully did not involve firearms, they
nonetheless show that his near-constant advocacy of violence in the leadup to the certification was
not idle talk. When the opportunity came for Biggs to act, he did so.
After the attack on the Capitol, there is no indication that Biggs reversed his commitment
to political violence; indeed, the opposite seems to be true. In the “CivilWar.mp4” interview
discussed above, he made described January 6 as a “warning shot” that portended worse violence
to come. Ex. 611-D. Moments later, Biggs glorified the “founding fathers” while observing that
they “were considered terrorists” in their day. Id. For Biggs, history’s lesson was simple:
sometimes “st[anding] up for what [you] believe[] is right” means “kill[ing] a bunch of fucking
retards,” even if doing so causes your contemporaries to regard you as “the worst of the worst.”
dangerous—attitude toward the use of political violence. And it shows why specific deterrence
will be so difficult in his case. A conviction for serious felonies, and the accompanying substantial
prison sentence, might unfortunately only redouble Biggs’s commitment to embracing extreme
measures to achieve his political aims. The Court must accordingly impose a sentence long enough
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to prevent Biggs from leading another violent conspiracy against the government while he is still
Conclusion
Considering all of the factors and the nature and circumstances of Biggs’s crime, Biggs
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