The FBI is actively searching for a member of the far-right group Proud Boys who failed to appear in court and missed his sentencing after being convicted for his role in the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.
The Southern District of New York said in a statement that it was searching for 30-year-old Dominic Pezzola, who prosecutors allege has fled the country and is now hiding in Mexico.
Pezzola was slated to be sentenced on May 18. However, he failed to appear in court and U.S. District Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald issued a warrant for his arrest.
The FBI is now conducting a search for Pezzola, including reaching out to its international law enforcement partners in order to locate him. The bureau has also appealed to the public for assistance and released photographs of Pezzola in a bid to locate him.
The full extent of Pezzola’s involvement in the Jan. 6 riots is not yet known, though he was among the first group of people charged in connection to the event. He was indicted in February and has pleaded guilty to obstructing an official proceeding, knowingly entering or remaining in a restricted building, and violent entry or disorderly conduct.
