A senior police department lieutenant in Washington, DC was indicted by a federal grand jury on Friday morning for alleged obstruction of justice and making false statements about his relationship with Enrique Tarrio, longtime leader of the far-right Proud Boys.
The indictment, which was filed in US District Court in Washington, alleges that Lieutenant Shane Lamond and Tarrio exchanged hundreds of messages as Lamond helped Tarrio understand the police investigation into his group, particularly around the time of the rioting in Washington Capitol on January 6th. 2021
Lamond could not be immediately reached for comment and federal court filings have not yet revealed who will represent him in court.
On the news, Lamond openly expressed his support for the Proud Boys.
“Obviously I can’t say it officially, but I personally support you all and don’t want your group’s name or reputation to be tarnished,” Lamond reportedly texted on Jan. 8, just two days after the riot try on Tarrio.
Four Proud Boys leaders, including Tarrio, were convicted earlier this month on seditious conspiracy and other charges over their role on Jan. 6.
Lamond played a crucial role in the city’s police department – overseeing the gathering of information about upcoming protest activities in the city. The indictment alleges that since July 2019, Lamond and Tarrio have been in frequent contact for nearly two years, exchanging at least 500 messages, some on encrypted platforms, while Lamond shared information about the MPD’s investigation into the Proud Boys.
On Nov. 7, the day after the 2020 presidential election, Lamond reportedly texted Tarrio, “Hey bro, sad sad news today. Anybody got plans?” Tarrio replied, “Yes.” Later that day will the indictment alleges that Lamond alerted Tarrio that law enforcement was monitoring the Proud Boys’ social media accounts and that they needed to switch to communicating through an encrypted platform.
The indictment alleges that Lamond gave Tarrio information about a police investigation into the burning of a Black Lives Matter banner in Washington the following month and an investigation into the January 6 riot attempt. Additionally, Lamond was accused of lying to federal authorities investigating his relationship with Tarrio.
At their recent inflammatory conspiracy trial, Tarrio and other Proud Boys leaders – Ethan Nordean, Joseph Biggs, Zachary Rehl and Dominic Pezzola – wanted to highlight Tarrio’s relationship with Lamond as evidence that their activities were being sanctioned by local authorities.
Lamond invoked his Fifth Amendment right not to incriminate himself during the trial, and prosecutors indicated he could face indictment soon.
