Jeremy Bertino
Bertino in 2020
Born1979 or 1980 (age 43–44)
NationalityAmerican
OrganizationProud Boys
Known forseditious conspiracy, Proud Boys' leadership, court testimony

Jeremy Bertino (born 1979 or 1980) is an American former member of the Proud Boys who testified against Enrique Tarrio during his trial for seditious conspiracy. Bertino was the first Proud Boys member to plead guilty to the same charge.

Early life

Bertino was born 1979 or 1980.[1] As an adult, he was found guilty of reckless endangerment in 2004 and briefly was jailed in New York State and sentenced to five years of probation.[2] He later lived in Belmont, North Carolina.[3]

Involvement in Proud Boys

Bertino joined the Proud Boys in 2018 and was the regional leader of the South Carolina chapter.[4][3] As a Proud Boys member, he did a media interview in 2021.[5]

Bertino in Pittsboro, North Carolina, 2019

Bertino did not attend the January 6, 2021 insurrection due to a stabbing injury that he received on December 12, 2020[1] at a rally in Washington, D.C., supporting Donald Trump;[6][7] on that day, Bertino, along with other Proud Boys and far-right activists, attacked the Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church.[8] He used digital communications to support the insurrectionists on January 6.[1]

At his criminal trial after the insurrection, Bertino pleaded guilty to seditious conspiracy and later agreed to be a witness against other members of the Proud Boys.[1] He also pleaded guilty to unlawfully being a felon in possession of a firearm.[9] after two AR-15 style rifles, two pistols, a shotgun, and a rifle were confiscated from his home by the FBI.[10][2] At the time of his plea, he was the first Proud Boys member to plead guilty to seditious conspiracy.[6] While testifying against Proud Boys members, including group leader Enrique Tarrio, Bertino stated that efforts to overthrow the U.S. government on January 6 failed due to the intervention of Capitol Police.[1]

Bertino in Raleigh, North Carolina, 2020

In May 2023, Bertino spoke of his regret about wearing a Right Wing Death Squad patch, the same patch worn by Mauricio Garcia, the perpetrator of the 2023 Allen, Texas outlet mall shooting who killed eight people.[11]

In June, 2023, District of Columbia Superior Court Judge Neal E. Kravitz imposed civil penalties of over $1 million on Bertino and three others, Enrique Tarrio, Joe Biggs and John Turano in connection with the 2020 attack on the Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church. Kravitz said that the four men had engaged in "hateful and overtly racist conduct"[8]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Ex-member: Proud Boys failed to carry out 'revolution'". NBC News. Associated Press. February 23, 2023. Archived from the original on May 26, 2023. Retrieved May 26, 2023.
  2. 1 2 Hsu, Spender S. (6 October 2022). "First Proud Boys leader pleads guilty to Jan. 6 seditious conspiracy". The Washington Post.
  3. 1 2 Quinn, Melissa; Legare, Robert (October 6, 2022). "Proud Boys member from North Carolina pleads guilty to seditious conspiracy". CBS News. Archived from the original on May 26, 2023. Retrieved May 26, 2023.
  4. ↑ "Ex-member: Proud Boys failed to carry out 'revolution'". Associated Press News. 2023-02-22. Retrieved 2023-05-26.
  5. ↑ Frenkel, Sheera (December 14, 2021). "Proud Boys Regroup, Focusing on School Boards and Town Councils". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on December 17, 2021. Retrieved May 26, 2023.
  6. 1 2 Feuer, Alan; Montague, Zach (March 1, 2023). "Prosecution's Witness at Proud Boys Trial Shows Complexities of the Case". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2023-05-10. Retrieved May 26, 2023.
  7. ↑ Cheney, Kyle (February 22, 2023). "'All-out revolution': Proud Boy describes group's desperation as Jan. 6 approached". Politico. Archived from the original on May 26, 2023. Retrieved May 26, 2023.
  8. 1 2 Campbell, Josh (July 1, 2023). "Proud Boys members ordered to pay over $1 million in 'hateful and overtly racist' church destruction civil suit". CNN. Retrieved July 1, 2023.
  9. ↑ Rabinowitz, Hannah (October 6, 2022). "Proud Boys member is first to plead guilty to seditious conspiracy". CNN Politics. Archived from the original on 2023-05-26. Retrieved May 26, 2023.
  10. ↑ Gordon, Michael (7 October 2022). "Proud Boys member from NC pleads guilty to seditious conspiracy in Capitol riot". Charlotte Observer.
  11. ↑ Roche, Darragh (May 9, 2023). "Ex-Proud Boy regrets wearing "RWDS" patch after Texas shooting: "Horrified"". Newsweek. Archived from the original on May 25, 2023. Retrieved 2023-05-26.
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