Zachary Rehl

Zachary Rehl, 38, is a father, husband, Marine Corps veteran, and patriot.  He worked a number of jobs when he was younger, including as a salesman for a Chevrolet dealership, was a small business owner, and he most recently worked in the financial services industry at Merrill Lynch in Philadelphia, PA.  Through the G.I. Bill, he received a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in business, management, and marketing from Temple University, after having served in the United States Marine Corps.  He owns a home in Philadelphia that he shares with his wife and two daughters. 

In the years leading up to the 2020 election, Zach became involved in the Proud Boys, an organization he found was essentially a drinking club for like-minded patriots.  Zach was happy to help the Proud Boys in organizing patriot events such as the “March for Trump,” “Back the Blue” rallies, and events to “Celebrate the Constitution and the Liberty Bell,” where he and his fellow members helped to protect those celebrating from violent attacks by protestors such as Antifa and BLM activists.  This led him to becoming the leader of Philadelphia’s chapter of the Proud Boys. 

Like millions of Americans, Zach was shocked by the sudden swing in vote counts on election night 2020 and early following day.  In the dead of night, six swing counties in which President Trump was ahead simultaneously stopped counting votes.  Early the next morning, the vote counts continued, but suddenly thousands of Biden ballots appeared, and Biden was comfortably in the lead in all six counties.  There has never been a satisfactory explanation.  It is well known that Democrats favor early voting, and Republicans tend to vote on election day; those “banked” Biden ballots should have been the first to be counted.

Responding to President Trump’s call to peacefully assemble on January 6th, 2021, Zach traveled to Washington, DC, to peacefully protest what he firmly believed to be a fraudulent 2020 election.  Zach joined fellow Proud Boys members near the Washington Monument and then made their way to the Capitol building, where they were joined by others who marched to the Capitol after listening to President Trump speak near the White House. 

The DOJ states that Zach lead some of the violence that occurred and suggested he used pepper spray against officers, though he was never charged with that crime.  He was nonviolent, did not push through any barricades, brought no weapons, and did not damage any property.  Zach admits that he did enter the Capitol for roughly 20 minutes after choking on clouds of teargas and dodging rubber bullets and flash grenades that police indiscriminately fired at the crowd of unarmed protestors.  He also admitted to smoking inside one of the Senate offices.  The Capitol is a maze-like building.  This is why it is likely that Zach was led to those offices by undercover FBI officers wearing Trump gear; this per an investigation by Congressman Clay Higgins.

Following his time in the Capitol, Zach and several others walked back to the Washington Monument. 

Zach was arrested March 17, 2021. Despite the fact that he was non-violent, the SWAT team stormed his home in the middle of the night, which nearly caused his then-pregnant wife to miscarry their daughter.  He was charged with Seditious Conspiracy; Conspiracy to Obstruct an Official Proceeding (a financial crime statue currently being challenged at the Supreme Court); Obstruction of an Official Proceeding and Aiding and Abetting; Conspiracy to Prevent an Officer from Discharging any Duties; Civil Disorder and Aiding and Abetting; Destruction of Government Property and Aiding and Abetting; Destruction of Government Property and Aiding and Abetting; Assaulting, Resisting, or Impeding Certain Officers; and, Assaulting, Resisting, or Impeding Certain Officers. 

At trial, Zach’s attorney, Nick Smith, cross-examined FBI Agent Nicole Miller, and stunned the courtroom and jury with a shocking revelation: FBI Agent Miller had intercepted strategy notes between Zach and his former defense attorney, clearly violating Zach’s Constitutional rights and failed to stop the monitoring in accordance with the law and further failed to disclose to the defense what had been intercepted.  In an email to another prosecutor, Agent Miller wrote, “Found an email thread with Rehl [Zach] and his attorney…The attorney raised some interesting points…I need to find other emails, but this one definitely indicates that they want it to go to trial…” 

This clearly violated Zach’s Sixth and Fourteenth Amendment Constitutional protections and shows a premeditated pattern of abuse.  When prosecutors or investigators determine that a communication is clearly between a client and his/her attorney, they are supposed to immediately cease to monitor and/or record that communication and are barred from utilizing any information gleaned for the benefit of their case.  They are also supposed to disclose this information to the defense attorneys as part of the discovery process.  This did not happen in this instance.

As soon as Zach’s attorney disclosed this information in open court, prosecutors immediately began to object, and the U.S. Court Judge Kelly stopped the trial and dismissed the jury for the day.  The trial continued the following day.  Despite this, the jury found Zach guilty of seditious conspiracy, and conspiracy to obstruct and official proceeding.  Seditious conspiracy has not been used in this country since the Civil War and was originally used against slave holders who refused to release their slaves following the end of the war.  Zach was also stripped of his honorable discharge from the Marines, which means that his benefits have also been stripped. 

Zach will be appealing the verdict to the U.S. Court of Appeals. 

Since his arrest, Zach has missed the birth of his daughter and has never been able to hold his now two-year-old child.  He also has a teenage daughter who he misses greatly and has missed graduate from high school.  Zach was the provider for his household and his absence has been a cause of great stress mentally, emotionally, and financially on his family. 

The mainstream media and some federal officials routinely label anyone associated with the January 6th protest as a “domestic terrorist” or “insurrectionist” despite the fact that the term “domestic terrorist” is not defined in the Patriot Act.  This allows them to destroy Constitutional rights, such as a speedy trial.  Likewise, no one associated with January 6th has ever been charged with, let alone convicted of, insurrection.

In addition to praying for Zach, you can support him here: https://www.givesendgo.com/defendzach

You can write to Zach here:

Zachary Rehl

34945-509

FCI Petersburg Medium

Federal Correctional Institution

P.O. Box 1000

Petersburg, VA 23804

Please note: Mail received by prisoners is monitored.  Please keep your messages to general encouragement and/or a religious nature.  It is best to not mention the events of January 6th, politics in general, or any event or events currently under criminal investigation.