A retired police officer in Washington, D.C., has been found guilty of providing false information to authorities regarding the leaking of private information to the head of the Proud Boys extremist group.
On Monday, U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson ruled that former Metropolitan Police Department Lieutenant Shane Lamond obstructed justice and made multiple false statements during a trial that did not involve a jury.
The sentencing for Lamond has been set for April 3, following his conviction on four separate charges.
Lamond faced allegations of sharing confidential details with Enrique Tarrio, who was then the national chairman of the Proud Boys. Tarrio was being investigated for his involvement in the vandalism of a Black Lives Matter banner.
During the trial, Lamond against the charges contended that he never disclosed any sensitive police information to Tarrio. In an unusual twist, Tarrio testified on behalf of Lamond’s defense, stating he never disclosed details regarding the burning of the banner and did not receive any secret information from Lamond.
However, the judge expressed skepticism about the credibility of both men. Judge Jackson pointed out that the evidence demonstrated that Lamond was likely not receiving information from Tarrio after the incident involving the banner. “It was the other way around,” she stated.
The exchange of messages between Lamond and Tarrio revealed a clear pattern: when they communicated, Tarrio replicated the information he received immediately thereafter.
Jackson characterized Tarrio as a problematic witness, describing his demeanor as “flippant, grandiose, and obnoxious” during his testimony.
Following the trial’s conclusion, Lamond’s defense attorney, Mark Schamel, remarked that it was too early to discuss the possibility of an appeal. Outside the courtroom, he expressed his disappointment regarding the perception of Lamond’s actions, stating, “It’s unbelievably disappointing to see every single thing that Lt. Lamond did viewed through a lens to make it appear to be something other than it was.”
He emphasized that Lamond’s integrity was intact, labeling it a “sad day” for him.
Tarrio subsequently entered a guilty plea concerning the act of burning the banner, which had been taken from a historic Black church in Washington, D.C., in December 2020.
Later, he was sentenced to a lengthy 22 years in prison for his involvement in the storming of the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021; an event that prosecutors described as part of a broader strategy to maintain Donald Trump’s presidency following the 2020 election.
Having met Tarrio in 2019, Lamond had prior oversight of the intelligence division within the police department’s Homeland Security Bureau, responsible for monitoring groups like the Proud Boys as they visited the capital.
Tarrio was detained in Washington two days prior to the insurrection. While he did not participate in the Capitol incident, he played a key leadership role in the events leading up to it.
Prosecutors presented evidence showing that Lamond had warned Tarrio that an arrest warrant had been issued for him. They also claimed Lamond informed Tarrio through written messages that he needed to identify Tarrio in connection with that warrant, indicating a clear intention to influence the ongoing investigation.
There were messages exchanged about the January 6 riot as well that indicated Lamond’s concern over whether Proud Boys members might face charges related to the assault.
Lamond defended himself against accusations of being a Proud Boys “sympathizer,” insisting that he had not supported the group and merely viewed Tarrio as a source he was trying to establish a rapport with for intelligence purposes.
Despite his claims of neutrality, prosecutors highlighted messages suggesting that Lamond provided Tarrio with timely updates on the police investigation regarding the December 2020 banner incident.
Lamond, who is 48 years old and a resident of Colonial Beach, Virginia, retired from the police force in May 2023 after dedicating 23 years of service.
