- Former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio will have to remain in jail until his trial, a federal judge ruled Friday.
- Tarrio faces federal conspiracy charges in connection to the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021.
- Though Tarrio has said he is no longer affiliated with the Proud Boys, the judge expressed skepticism in a court filing.
A former high-ranking member of the far-right Proud Boys will remain behind bars pending his trial on charges connected to the Capitol riot, according to court documents.
US District Judge Timothy Kelly denied Enrique Tarrio's request for bail on Friday, saying he had reached the same conclusion as a previous judge: "Tarrio presented a danger to the community and that no condition or combination of conditions will reasonably assure the safety of the community," Kelly wrote.
Tarrio, along with several other co-defendants, is charged with conspiring to obstruct the certification of President Joe Biden last year. As Insider has previously reported, prosecutors have alleged that even though Tarrio was not at the Capitol on January 6, he orchestrated the extremist group's participation from afar.
In an indictment, prosecutors accused Tarrio and other Proud Boys members of using encrypted communications channels to plan and organize their efforts. Prosecutors also alleged that Tarrio communicated with other Proud Boys members by phone and on social media as the Capitol riot was unfolding.
In a memorandum filed on Friday, Kelly said he found the evidence against Tarrio "very strong." He added that Tarrio had already countered several of prosecutors' allegations, but "none are persuasive," and none were strong enough to support his release from jail.
Kelly also expressed skepticism about Tarrio's disavowal of the Proud Boys and the events of January 6.
"The Court can hardly give much weight to these post-hoc, self-serving representations, especially given the above evidence that (especially in private) he approved of and took credit for the events of the day," Kelly wrote.
Tarrio was jailed in Miami, Florida, in early March. He was previously denied his request to be released on $1 million bond.
Prior to the Capitol riot-related charges, Tarrio was charged with destruction of property for burning a BLM flag from a historically Black church .
Nearly 900 people have been charged in connection to the Capitol riot so far.