Federal prosecutors on Friday revealed conspiracy charges against several leaders of the right-wing group the Proud Boys stemming from their alleged roles in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
Ethan Nordean, Zach Rehl, Joseph Biggs, and Charles Donohoe were accused of conspiracy, obstruction of an official proceeding, hindering law enforcement, destruction of property, entering a restricted building, and disorderly conduct, an unsealed grand jury indictment in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia read. Prosecutors said the group leaders engaged in a conspiracy “to stop, delay, or hinder Congress’s enforcement certification of the Electoral College vote, and to obstruct and interfere with law officers engaged in their official duties to protect the Capitol.”
The Proud Boys members planned to “turn out in record numbers on Jan 6th but this time with a twist. … We will not be wearing our traditional Black and Yellow. We will be incognito and we will be spread across downtown DC in smaller teams. And who knows…we might all be dressed in BLACK for the occasion,” the group wrote in a social media post ahead of the siege, according to the document.
Prosecutors said Nordean, Rehl, Biggs, and Donohoe entered the Capitol after a group of people breached a doorway while donning “paramilitary gear and supplies,” including “tactical vests” and “radio equipment.” Two of the suspects were said to have referred to the results of the 2020 election, which former President Donald Trump lost to President Biden, as “war.” One of them, Nordean, said “the spirit of 1776 has resurfaced” in social media posts.
Investigators also uncovered the group’s purported communication network. Donohoe “expressed concern” that their encrypted channels would be compromised following the apprehension of Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio, who was arrested 48 hours prior to the unrest. Tarrio was charged with destruction of property in connection to the burning of a Black Lives Matter banner during an earlier protest, and police confiscated two so-called “high-capacity” magazines from his vehicle following a search, compounding the number of offenses.
Prosecutors said Donohoe made a new chat, titled “New MOSD,” in which group members instructed each other to break people into teams ahead of the riot.
More than 300 people have been charged in connection to the Jan. 6 unrest, and 65 face charges for assaulting officers. The FBI released footage on Thursday of some of the “most violent” perpetrators in the Jan. 6 Capitol siege, including a rioter who used an electric prod on officers.
“[The rioters] are captured on video committing appalling crimes,” said Steven D’Antuono, assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office. “Today, I am again asking for your help to identify the perpetrators of some of the most egregious assaults on law enforcement officers. To assist in identifying these subjects, we have compiled and released videos of 10 of the most violent offenders. These individuals are responsible for assaults on law enforcement officers who were protecting the Capitol and our Democratic process on Jan. 6.”
Brian Sicknick, a Capitol Police officer, died after the attack on Congress. Early reports said officials believed that Sicknick died after being struck by a fire extinguisher, and on Monday, two men, Julian Elie Khater and George Pierre Tanios, were arrested in connection to assaulting Sicknick with an unknown chemical spray. Speculation swirled after authorities refused to release his cause of death. The veteran policeman received the rare tribute of lying in honor in the Capitol rotunda before his cremated remains were sent to Arlington National Cemetery to be laid to rest.
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Four others died during the siege of Congress as lawmakers worked to affirm Biden’s 2020 election victory. Ashli Babbitt, an Air Force veteran and Trump supporter, was shot and killed by a Capitol Police officer while attempting to climb through a window into the Speaker’s Lobby. Three others died from “medical emergencies,” according to officials. Two other Capitol Police officers who responded to the riot later died by suicide, according to local police.
