Lt. Shane Lamond, a former member of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) in Washington, D.C., was found guilty on Monday of lying to law enforcement officials about providing information to the leader of the Proud Boys prior to the Capitol attack on January 6.
Lamond, 49, the former supervisor of the MPD’s Intelligence Branch, had a close relationship with Henry “Enrique” Tarrio, according to prosecutors in Washington, DC.
That close relationship was put to use on January 6, 2021, when Lamond informed Tarrio that a warrant had been issued for his arrest for setting fire to a Black Lives Matter banner during a 2020 protest. When investigators later questioned Lamond about this, he lied.
“As proven at trial, Lamond turned his job on its head—providing confidential information to a source, rather than getting information from him—lied about the conduct, and obstructed an investigation into the source,” Matthew Graves, the U.S. Attorney’s Office,
Following a seven-day bench trial, District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson ruled that Lamond was guilty of obstruction of justice and three counts of false statements.
“Lamond’s intelligence gathering role is critical to our community’s safety. His breach of the trust placed in him put our community at risk, which cannot be overlooked,” Graves added.
The Proud Boys are a far-right militant organization that espouses white supremacist ideology and uses political violence. Canada and New Zealand have designated the group as a terrorist organization.
Several members of the group, including Tarrio, stormed the Capitol on January 6 to support Donald Trump, who lost the 2020 election.
Donald Trump has expressed sympathy for the Proud Boys. When asked if he rejected their values, the president-elect famously replied, “Stand back and wait.”
Prosecutors said Lamond and Tarrio were in “regular contact” starting in July 2019, but their communication became more discreet after the 2020 election, with conversations shifting to Telegram.
In December 2020, Lamond gave Tarrio confidential information about an investigation into the burning of a BLM banner. Weeks later, Lamond informed Tarrio that a warrant had been issued for his arrest.
During the bench trial, Lamond’s attorneys attempted to argue that his relationship with Tarrio was for “source” purposes. Tarrio testified as a defense witness in Lamond’s trial.
However, Judge Berman Jackson disputed that – pointing to conversations in which Lamond discussed the status of police and FBI investigations while sympathizing with the Proud Boys message.
Lamond will be sentenced on April 3, 2025.