A former leader within the far-right group the Proud Boys is continuing his cooperation with federal investigators following a guilty plea last year in which he admitted to a charge of seditious conspiracy in connection to the Capitol riot. The defendant, Jeremy Bertino, did not participate on the ground in the storming of the Capitol, but he was part of discussions that led up to the violence perpetrated in D.C. by group members that day.
Authorities tied his absence on the 6th to then-ongoing recovery from physical injuries he sustained during an earlier altercation that unfolded amid demonstrations in D.C.
And now, prosecutors have notified the court in cooperation with Bertino’s legal team that the defendant’s cooperation continues. The notification to the court regarding a process that would normally remain well out of the public eye relates to the court’s eventual responsibility of handling sentencing for Bertino, who already testified at a trial of other individuals involved with the Proud Boys. “The parties do not request that the Court set a sentencing date at this time,” the new filing says. There are no details in this publicly available doc on the precise nature of continuing cooperation by Bertino, though it is separately known that federal prosecutors have obtained other cooperation from individuals in similar positions.
Meanwhile, Capitol riot defendant Vitali GossJankowski caused a violent scene in court on Monday after a judge ruled that he be detained ahead of his later sentencing. Presumably attempting to resist the impending detention, GossJankowski began physically fighting officers, and more than half a dozen personnel on scene eventually took control of the defendant as bystanders — including the judge himself — departed and GossJankowski’s outburst, which reportedly included screams, left the courtroom awry. Leading to the Monday hearing, GossJankowski had sent threatening messages to a law enforcement officer connected to his case — messages in which he expressed racism towards multiple groups and referenced sexual violence.
Prosecutors say star Proud Boys seditious conspiracy trial witness Jeremy Bertino — who pleaded guilty to seditious conspiracy himself — is continuing to cooperate with the government. pic.twitter.com/r0gt5fEaNV
— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) October 30, 2023
