A former Washington, D.C., police officer accused of leaking confidential information to a Proud Boys national leader became a "double agent" for the far-right extremist group, a federal prosecutor said on Monday.
What Happened?
Metropolitan Police Lieutenant Shane Lamond was arrested in May 2023 and is charged with one count of obstruction of justice and three counts of making false statements.
The case against Lamond stems from allegedly leaked sensitive information to Enrique Tarrio, the group's national leader, after members burned a Black Lives Matter banner on December 12 2020, according to federal prosecutors.
At the start of Lamond's trial on Monday, prosecutors argued that the former police officer was a "Proud Boys sympathizer" who tipped off Tarrio about his impending arrest over the banner-burning incident and provided "real-time updates" on police investigations. He is also accused of later lying to investigators about their communications.
"He knew the difference between right and wrong, and he knew it was a crime to lie to law enforcement," prosecutor Joshua Rothstein said during opening statements for Lamond's trial.
"This play-by-play information allowed the Proud Boys to be one step ahead of law enforcement," the prosecutor added.
The defense has dismissed these claims as inflammatory, arguing that the prosecution is presenting a skewed version of events. Lamond's attorney, Ana Jara, said, "Context matters, especially in conversations" and accused prosecutors of "cherry-picking" evidence to paint a misleading picture.
Meanwhile, the trial's first witness, Lieutenant Ahsan Mufti, who investigated the banner burning and obtained a warrant for Tarrio's arrest, testified that Lamond withheld critical information about Tarrio's direct confession to the banner-burning that would have helped his investigation.
Tarrio had publicly confessed to the crime on social media before his arrest.
Mufti also acknowledged that Lamond had been cooperative in other aspects, such as identifying Tarrio in photos.
Lamond had pleading not guilty in May 2023 leading U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson to decide the case after hearing testimony.
From Officer to Insider?
Lamond's connection with Tarrio began in 2019 when he supervised the intelligence branch of the department's Homeland Security Bureau. His role included monitoring groups like the Proud Boys.
However, text exchanges between the two reveal a relationship that prosecutors claim went beyond professional boundaries. Lamond reportedly referred to Tarrio as "brother" in their communications, which spanned hundreds of messages.
Tarrio was sentenced to more than five months in jail for burning the banner stolen from a historic Black church in downtown Washington and for bringing two high-capacity firearm magazines into the district.
The January 6 Connection
Tarrio was arrested in the banner-burning case in Washington, D.C., just days before the January 6, 2021, riot on the U.S. Capitol when Proud Boys members joined a mob's attack on the Capitol.
Though Tarrio wasn't at the Capitol during the riot, he has since been sentenced to 22 years in prison after a jury convicted him and other Proud Boys leaders of seditious conspiracy charges stemming from the January 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.
According to Lamond's indictment, Tarrio and Lamond exchanged messages about the January 6 riot and discussed whether Proud Boys members were in danger of being charged in the attack.
"Of course I can't say it officially, but personally I support you all and don't want to see your group's name and reputation dragged through the mud," Lamond wrote.
Lamond, of Stafford, Virginia, was placed on administrative leave in February 2022.
Meanwhile, Lamond's case, being presided over by Judge Jackson, could see Tarrio himself called as a witness.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.
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