Fmr. Philadelphia Proud Boys leader among members found guilty of Jan. 6 sedition plot

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Philadelphia Proud Boys leader Zach Rehl was among the group members convicted on Thursday of seditious conspiracy and other charges in connection with the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

A jury in Washington, D.C., found Rehl guilty after hearing from dozens of witnesses over more than three months in one of the most serious cases brought in the stunning attack that unfolded on Jan. 6, 2021, as the world watched on live TV.

Former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio, Ethan Nordean, and Joe Biggs were also convicted of seditious conspiracy.

The Proud Boys leaders were acquitted charges they assaulted, impeded or resisted officers.

Those convicted face potentially decades in prison.

After deliberations continued for a few hours on the seditious conspiracy charge against Dominic Pezzola, he was found not guilty.

The jury was unable to reach a verdict for Pezzola on a count of conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding.

Judge Timothy Kelly declared a mistrial on the remaining counts of assaulting, resisting or impeding officers.

Pezzola, who went by the nickname Spaz, admitted to the most violent conduct of the group when he testified that he used a stolen police riot shield to break through a window, allowing rioters to breach the building.

Earlier Thursday, he was convicted of robbery of U.S. government property.

Tarrio was not present in Washington on Jan. 6 after his arrest on separate charges just days before. Prosecutors argued he directed his troops remotely with messages about revolution and telling them "don't f---ing leave" after the building was breached that afternoon.

Tarrio was accused of orchestrating a fighting force with a group they called the "Ministry of Self Defense" comprised of dedicated Proud Boys and top leaders.

SEE ALSO: Former Proud Boy testifies in Jan. 6 seditious conspiracy trial

Tarrio's conviction follows the case of Stewart Rhodes, leader of another far-right group called Oath Keepers, who was convicted of seditious conspiracy for his role in the events of Jan. 6.

Video of the two ringleaders meeting in a Washington parking garage on the eve of Jan. 6 was part of the volumes of footage obtained by the Justice Department in the case.

Membership in the Proud Boys surged after then-President Donald Trump told the group to "stand back and stand by" during a 2020 presidential debate. Tarrio's attorneys blamed Trump for encouraging and revving up the crowd that ultimately broke into the Capitol.

Thursday was the seventh day of deliberations during which jurors asked multiple questions.

The Proud Boys trial has been the longest to date in the Justice Department's pursuit of Capitol rioters.

Since jury selection began in December, the case has dragged on with bitter arguments, frequent objections and mistrial motions. At times, Judge Timothy Kelly lost his temper and admonished the lawyers for interrupting or seeming to ignore his directions.

The Proud Boys insisted there were no plans to attack the Capitol and sought to cast themselves as nothing more than a hard-charging social club in which partying, drinking and exchanging crude jokes went along with attending political protests.

The group also describes themselves as "Western chauvinists," an unapologetic brand of fervent nationalism.

ABC News and the Associated Press contributed to this report.