Dominic Pezzola, a member of the far-right Proud Boys, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for his role in storming the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. Pezzola, a former Marine, was convicted of assaulting police and obstructing an official proceeding. During the riot, he was seen smashing a window with a police shield and later filmed himself smoking a "victory cigar" in the Capitol building.

The sentencing of Pezzola follows the recent sentencing of other Proud Boys leaders, Joseph Biggs and Zachary Rehl, to 17 years and 15 years in prison, respectively. The government is seeking even longer prison terms for Pezzola and another Proud Boy, Ethan Nordean, who was convicted of seditious conspiracy and other crimes. Nordean will be sentenced on Friday.

The storming of the Capitol by thousands of Trump supporters resulted in the deaths of five people, including a police officer, and caused millions of dollars in damage. The riot was fueled by then-President Donald Trump's false claims of widespread election fraud. Despite the legal consequences faced by those involved, Trump has continued to perpetuate these baseless claims, leading the Republican race for the 2024 nomination.