3 Philly-Area Proud Boys Charged In Jan. 6 Capitol Riot

Philadelphia PA

15 December, 2021

1:06 PM

Description

PHILADELPHIA — Two Philadelphia men and a Delaware County man, who authorities say are members of the Proud Boys, have been charged in connection with the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. According to court documents, Freedom Vy, 36, and Isaiah Giddings, 29, both of Philadelphia, and Brian Healion, 31, of Upper Darby, are charged with illegally entering a restricted building with the intent to disrupt government proceedings, as well as conduct intended to interrupt government proceedings. These three are charged in connection with Philadelphia Proud Boy leader Zachary Rehl, who was taken into custody at his home in Philadelphia's Port Richmond neighborhood in March. Rehl is a veteran and the son of two Philadelphia police officers. Federal authorities describe the Proud Boys as a "pro-Western fraternal organization for men who refuse to apologize for creating the modern world; aka Western Chauvinists." Text messages included in the charging documents show Rehl, Vy, Giddings, Healion and a fifth person, who did not travel to Washington, communicating on Jan. 5. In the texts, they shared blood types and emergency contact information, the documents indicated, and other texts showed the men coordinating a carpool to Washington D.C. Additionally, authorities said they found photos of Giddings, Vy, and Healion on the Upper West Terrace of the Capitol Building and inside the building itself. Authorities also said they documented the group's stay at the Darcy Hotel in Washington, D.C., having them checking in on Jan. 5 and checking out on Jan. 7.