New Accusations Allege Proud Boys Prepared for Capitol Uprising

New Accusations Allege Proud Boys Prepared for Capitol Uprising

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The Justice Department unveiled the new conspiracy charge in an indictment by the grand federal jury of Nicholas Ochs and Nicholas DeCarlo.

The prosecution alleges that the two conspired to block Congress’ certification of electoral votes on January 6. Prosecutors say they planned and raised funds for the effort, so they came to Washington, DC, and raided the police and entered the Capitol building as part of the violent crowd, according to a copy of the prosecution.

Wednesday’s accusation came shortly after the Justice Department made it clear that it had taken further investigative measures against Proud Boys affiliates related to the insurrection. The Proud Boys are a far-right group known for their clashes with Antifa and the general support of former President Donald Trump, who even mentioned them in a presidential debate, telling them to “stand back and wait.”

Also on Wednesday, the so-called Sergeant of Arms of the Proud Boys in Seattle, Ethan Nordean, also known as “Rufio Panman”, was arrested and then appeared in federal court for his role in the riot. Federal prosecutors wrote that they believed Nordean asked for help on social media to buy “protective equipment” and “communication equipment” with the intention of organizing people before the Jan. 6 siege, the prosecution document said. He is charged with three charges related to entering Capitol, and the allegations he faces mention several other Proud Boys affiliates among the crowd.

At least 11 people with ties to the Proud Boys have been charged with connection to the Capitol insurrection, according to a CNN analysis of court documents and statements by the Department of Justice.

A flight, flexible handcuffs and engraving at Memorial Gate

Prosecutors described Ochs and DeCarlo, as part of the conspiracy, allegedly raised money online so they could fly from their home states, Texas and Hawaii, to DC for the January 6 pro-Trump event. They also “publicized” their plans, the prosecution said.

The pair reportedly inscribed the words “murder the media” on a notable entrance to the Capitol, the Memorial Gate. In previous court records, investigators showed a photo of Ochs and DeCarlo standing next to the print with thumbs up. The damage to the door was less than $ 1,000, the prosecution said.

In all, the indictment on Wednesday charges them with seven counts, including conspiracy, obstruction of an official process and theft and destruction of government property.

One of the charges now accuses them of stealing from the Capitol Police a pair of flexible handcuffs – the same types of zippered handcuffs that the Justice Department has focused on in other cases, as protesters potentially intended to take lawmakers hostage.

Investigators began building the court case against Ochs and DeCarlo in the days after the Capitol rebellion. To arrest each of them, the FBI described how it was believed that both were inside the Capitol building and could be identified in photos and videos taken during the insurrection.

Five people, including a Capitol police officer, were killed in the rebellion. Members of Congress and then Vice President Mike Pence were evacuated to safety, temporarily ending the debate over the results of the Electoral College.

During the rebellion, Ochs – the founder of the Proud Boys chapter in Hawaii – tweeted a selfie of him smoking a cigarette in the building.

“We don’t have to break in, I just went in and filmed,” Ochs told CNN in an interview. “There were thousands of people there – they had no control over the situation. I was not stopped or questioned ”.

Ochs ran an unsuccessful campaign for the state legislature last year, winning the endorsement of Trump’s confidant, Roger Stone, who recorded a video with him. He said in the interview with CNN that he was working as a professional journalist when he entered the Capitol and that he did not enter any Congressional office or chambers.

DeCarlo also said he was a journalist, in an interview he gave to the Los Angeles Times after Jan. 6, according to court records. But he is not accredited as a journalist by Congress, investigators said, and operates a YouTube channel with Ochs and “intends to be an employee” of a group called “MT Media News”, which means “murdering media news”, a statement in support of his arrest, he said.

Seattle Prison

Nordean, a 30-year-old Washington state resident, is charged in DC District Court with four counts in all, all related to his actions on January 6.

Investigators say he was marching in front of the crowd near the Capitol, alongside another prominent Proud Boys affiliate, Joseph Biggs, who was also charged in recent weeks. Investigators also say that Nordean interacted with another previously accused person, Robert Gieswein, during his onslaught on Capitol Hill. Gieswein went to a window on the Capitol that was first broken by another Proud Boys affiliate, Dominic Pezzola, who was also accused of being related to the riot.

“Gathered just behind Nordean in the crowd in front of the Capitol was a group of individuals that I identified as many of the same people who were seen marching behind Nordean, Biggs and other Proud Boys earlier in the day,” wrote the investigators, recreating the effort. group of parts of the crowd to force their way into the building.

Investigators said they had no evidence that Nordean was part of an effort by his acquaintances to break down a window. They used a lot of photos and videos to place it between the riots outside and inside the Capitol building, court records say.

Investigators also described their social media activity before January 6, including a video in Parler two days earlier, in which Nordean said the Proud Boys should protect the community and respond to voter fraud beliefs with “that original spirit of 1776 “.

“We are going back. We are going back to DC and we are going to take this country back. Your gifts, your thoughts and your financial contributions will not be in vain,” said another person in the January 5 Parler video, investigators wrote to the court in a statement supporting Nordean prison.

Nordean made his first appearance at the federal court in Washington state on Wednesday afternoon via videoconference. He will be detained until another hearing on February 8.

Building conspiracy cases, charging others

Federal officials have repeatedly said in recent weeks that they are investigating groups – and accusing possible seditious conspiracies – that indicate coordination before the Capitol rebellion. But the cases are still moving slowly and in the early stages. No case of sedition was presented.

Still, several other members of the Proud Boys are already in federal court and face criminal charges after the turmoil.

Two other Proud Boys affiliates, Pezzola and William Pepe, both from New York, are accused of working together during the attack on the Capitol, according to the indictment last week.

A participant and organizer of the Proud Boys’ mass meetings, Biggs, Florida, is facing charges in an initial complaint related to his entry on Capitol grounds.

in addition to the members of the Proud Boys, a separate group of alleged right-wing extremists was previously indicted for conspiracy.

In this case, which is also at an early stage, Thomas Caldwell of Virginia and Jessica Watkins and Donovan Crowl of Ohio reportedly coordinated before the January 6 attack and discussed or participated in paramilitary training camps.

Prosecutors say the three are affiliated with right-wing paramilitary organizations in Ohio and the national paramilitary group The Oath Keepers.

This story has been updated with additional reports and background.

Kay Jones, Paul Murphy, Marshall Cohen, Hannah Rabinowitz and Anna-Maja Rappard contributed to this report.

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