North Carolina member of the Proud Boys pleads guilty to seditious conspiracy

Washington — A member of the far-right extremist group the Proud Boys pleaded guilty Thursday to seditious conspiracy for his role related to the Jan. 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol, becoming the first member of the organization to do so since the leader of the group and several of its members were indicted.

A charging document filed in the federal district court in Washington states Jeremy Bertino, of Belmont, North Carolina, admitted to "knowingly combine, conspire, confederate and agree" with five members of the Proud Boys and its leader, Enrique Tarrio, "to oppose by force the authority of the government of the United States and to delay by force the execution of the laws governing the transfer of power, including the 12th Amendment."

According to the filing, Bertino also "unlawfully and knowingly" received and had several firearms, including two pistols, two rifles, a shotgun and a Mossburg .22 AR-15-style firearm with a scope, "which had been possessed, shipped and transported in and affecting interstate and foreign commerce."