By Allan Lengel
A member of the Proud Boys from Washington state man was sentenced in D.C. Wednesday to six years in prison for his role in the Jan. 6 riots at the U.S. Capitol.
Marc Bru, 44, of Vancouver, Wash., was also ordered after his release to 36 months of supervised release and to pay a $7,946 fine and $2,000 in restitution. He was found guilty of two felonies, including obstruction of an official proceeding and civil disorder, and five misdemeanor charges following a bench trial.
Last year, Bru told the trial judge: “You could give me 100 years and I would still do it all over again.”
Authorities alleged that on Jan. 5, 2021, Bru, a member of the Proud Boys, flew from Portland, Oregon, to Washington, D.C.
“The next morning, ready for violence, Bru donned a pair of clear goggles and a neck gaiter to hide his face and headed to the National Mall,” the Justice Department said in a press release.
On the morning of Jan. 6, Bru gathered with other members of the Proud Boys on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Intent on obstructing the certification of the Electoral College vote, authorities charged.
Instead of attending President Trump’s “Stop the Steal” rally, they marched to the grounds of the U.S. Capitol.
Authorities alleged that Bru was among the first to breach the restricted perimeter on the west side of the Capitol grounds. He eventually made his way to the front of the mob on the West Plaza, where he spent nearly two hours verbally harassing a group of U.S. Capitol Police officers. At one point, he pointed at officers and repeatedly yelled: “You’ll die for the corporation!”
At one point police officers attempted to secure the area with bike rack barricades, but Bru rushed in to join a struggle between rioters and police, the DOJ said in a press release.
Bru used his full body weight to push back against the bike rack barricade. Officers attempted to repel him with pepper spray but were ultimately unsuccessful.
Eventually, Bru and other rioters entered the building.
Bru made it to the Senate Gallery where he took selfies with the empty Senate Floor in the background. In one selfie, Bru flashed a hand sign associated with the Proud Boys, authorities said
About six weeks later, Bru tried to organize a violent insurrection against the local government in Portland, Oregon, urging others to fight the police, ignore the courts, and disable the government’s ability to communicate, authorities alleged.
The FBI arrested him on March 30, 2021, in Vancouver, Washington. While on pretrial release, Bru was arrested twice on charges of driving under the influence, once in Idaho and once in Montana. He failed to appear for court in both cases. The cases are pending.
On June 26, 2023, Bru failed to appear for a pretrial conference related to the Jan. 6 charges. On June 28, 2023, he posted screenshots on social media of a conversation he had with another individual concerning news reports on his failure to appear in District Court. In that conversation. He wrote:
“nice, I certified mailed my motion to the prosecutor, I’m done entertaining their bullshit. If they want me they will come get me. I’m drawing a f— line in the sand…”
Bru failed to appear for a second District Court hearing on June 30, 2023, and an arrest warrant was issued. He was arrested on July 23, 2023, in Montana. During the sentencing hearing, Bru continued to express no remorse to the trial judge, Chief Judge James Boasberg.
In the 36 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,265 people have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol. The investigation remains ongoing.
