PROGRESSIVES HISTORY THE ATTEMPTED OVERTHROW
OF THE US GOVERNMENT THAT ALMOST SUCCEEDED JANUARY 6 2021
COMPILATION AND COMMENTARY
BY LUCY MANESS WARNER
OCTOBER 15, 2022
IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THERE CAN BE NO RATIONAL OR
HONEST DOUBT REMAINING ABOUT CONSPIRACY TO COMMIT REBELLION
OR INSURRECTION CHARGES IF THEY ARE BROUGHT AGAINST THE PROUD BOYS. WILL
THEY BE BROUGHT AGAINST TRUMP? I THINK SOME CHARGES OF A SERIOUS NATURE WILL COME
TO HIM, IF NOT THIS ONE.
SEE THE ARTICLE FROM
CSIS.ORG BELOW AND THE WASHINGTON POST STORY, PLUS THE TWO ITEMS
FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. ALL CONTAIN IMPORTANT MATERIAL.
INSURRECTION VS SEDITION
https://www.csis.org/analysis/understanding-insurrection-and-sedition
CENTER FOR STRATEGIC AND INTERNATIONAL
STUDIES
PHOTOGRAPH – [HEAVILY DAMAGED DOORS TO THE CAPITOL SHOWN FROM INSIDE]. Photo:
Alex Wong/Getty Images
CRITICAL QUESTIONS
Understanding Insurrection and Sedition
January 29, 2021
In response to the January 6 siege on the
U.S. Capitol, the Joint Chiefs of Staff penned a letter denouncing the rioters’
behavior and emphasizing that the “rights of freedom of speech and assembly do
not give anyone the right to resort to violence, sedition and insurrection.” This analysis
defines acts of sedition and insurrection and evaluates the seriousness of both
charges.
Q1: What is “sedition” and “insurrection”?
A1: Generally, sedition is conduct or speech that incites individuals to
violently rebel against the authority of the government. Insurrection
includes the actual acts of violence and rebellion. In a monarchy,
sedition might refer to actions instigating the removal of a king or queen. In
a constitutional democracy, sedition and insurrection refer to inciting or
participating in rebellion against the constitutionally established government, its processes and
institutions, or the rule of law. In other words, in the United States’
democracy, violently overthrowing the government or its institutions is
overthrowing the Constitution itself. One cannot commit sedition or
insurrection to “overthrow a government” while still claiming to uphold and
defend the Constitution. The U.S. government, the rule of law, and the
Constitution are inextricably linked, and violent attacks on any of the three are
not protected actions.
Q2: Is it a federal crime to commit “sedition” and “insurrection”?
A2: It is a serious federal crime to commit seditious conspiracy or to
participate in an insurrection against the government.
Under 18 U.S.C. § 2384, “seditious conspiracy” occurs when two
or more persons:
conspire to overthrow, put down, or to
destroy by force the Government of the United States, or to levy war
against them, or to oppose by force the authority thereof, or by force to prevent,
hinder, or delay the execution of any law of the United States, or by
force to seize, take, or possess any property of the United States contrary to the
authority thereof.
Individuals charged with seditious conspiracy can be fined and could
serve up to 20 years in prison.
It is important to consider that federal law refers to
“seditious conspiracy” as opposed to just “sedition.” There is the added burden
of proof that an individual must actively be conspiring and taking steps toward
a violent action against the government, not just making comments that seem to
merely reflect that desire. This is to ensure that First Amendment activity is
protected under the Constitution, and only actions that overtly demonstrate
individuals’ plans to take dangerous steps toward overthrowing the United
States’ constitutional government are charged.
But those that serve in the military and have taken an oath to protect
and defend the Constitution are held to a higher standard. Under the Uniform
Code of Military Justice, individuals intending on overthrowing or
destroying a “lawful civil authority” can be charged under 10 U.S.C. §894. Moreover, members
of the military can be charged under this provision for failing
to do their “utmost to prevent and suppress” these activities from taking place.
Insurrection is captured by 18 U.S.C. § 2383 and applies to
“[w]hoever incites, sets on foot, assists, or engages in any rebellion or
insurrection against the authority of the United States or the law there, or
gives aid or comfort thereto.” Charges of insurrection, or the incitement of
insurrection, involves fines and imprisonment of up to 10 years. Individuals
charged with insurrection are also ineligible to hold public office in
the United States.
Q3: How is this different from expressing opposition to policy?
A3: There is a clear distinction between actions aimed at responsibly
holding institutions accountable through constitutional means—actions that are
routinely part of and encouraged in a strong democracy—and violence aimed at
undermining the proper functioning and accessibility of democracy for all
citizens. Protest and dissent are comprehensively protected under the First
Amendment. However, acts of sedition, seditious conspiracy, and insurrection
actively damage the United States’ system of government with the ultimate
consequence of depriving other citizens an equal opportunity to participate in
democracy and affect responsible change.
Freedom of speech in nearly all forms is an essential part of U.S.
democracy. But to maintain these freedoms, we need to protect and preserve the
Constitution, and the institutions that it establishes, not because they are
perfect, but because they are capable of change through peaceful means. All
Americans should take seriously the admonition that ours is a government “of,
by, and for the people” and learn to be effective agents of change under the
Constitution rather than succumb to the mistaken claim that overthrowing the
constitutional system is the answer.
Q4: Why is a sedition charge or an
insurrection charge so serious?
A4: Sedition and insurrection charges are
serious because they go to the very heart of U.S. constitutional democracy and
the fundamental value of respect for the rule of law that distinguishes the
United States from totalitarian regimes.
Over the course of U.S. history, these terms have been utilized to find
fault with individuals who were merely being critical of the government or a
particular party. However, as the nation matured, the U.S. public developed an
almost sacred understanding that dissent, and even hyperbolic conspiracy and
seemingly violent rhetoric, can be largely tolerated under the Constitution.
But there is a reason that many are confident that individuals involved
in the riot at the Capitol will be charged on seditious conspiracy, and
potentially even insurrection. The violent threats leading up to January 6, the
actions taken at the Capitol, and the continued incitement of attacks on state
and federal governments demonstrate a persistent and determined assault on U.S.
democracy. The charges are serious and unprecedented, but so too are the
violent actions that took place.
Suzanne Spaulding is senior adviser for homeland security and director of
the Defending Democratic Institutions project at the Center for Strategic and
International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, D.C. Joseph Federici is an
associate director and associate fellow with the CSIS International Security
Program. Devi Nair is a program manager and research associate with the CSIS
International Security Program.
Critical Questions is produced by the Center for Strategic and
International Studies (CSIS), a private, tax-exempt institution focusing on
international public policy issues. Its research is nonpartisan and
nonproprietary. CSIS does not take specific policy positions. Accordingly, all
views, positions, and conclusions expressed in this publication should be
understood to be solely those of the author(s).
© 2021 by the Center for Strategic and International Studies. All rights
reserved.
WRITTEN BY
Suzanne Spaulding
Senior Adviser, Homeland Security, International Security Program
Devi Nair
Associate Director and Associate Fellow, International Security Program
Joseph Federici
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PROUD BOY DOES A SOMERSAULT
ONE OF THE "MINISTRY OF SELF DEFENSE"
PROUD BOY ELITE CHAPTER HAS PLED GUILTY TO A CHARGE OF SEDITIOUS CONSPIRACY. WHO
WILL BE NEXT, AND WHAT NEW INFORMATION WILL BE LEARNED FROM THEM?
https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2022/10/06/proud-boys-bertino-plea-seditious-conspiracy/
LEGAL ISSUES
First Proud Boys leader pleads guilty to Jan.
6 seditious conspiracy
Jeremy Bertino was part of the right-wing
group’s inner circle and accused of planning violence to stop the Joe Biden
presidency
Image without a caption
By Spencer S. Hsu
Updated October 6, 2022 at 6:32 p.m.
EDT|Published October 6, 2022 at 3:15 p.m. EDT
PHOTOGRAPH -- Proud Boy Jeremy Bertino at a Richmond rally in January
2020. (Anthony Crider)
A lieutenant of longtime former Proud Boys chairman Henry “Enrique”
Tarrio became the group’s first member to plead guilty to seditious conspiracy
in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot on Thursday, deepening the government’s case against
an organization accused of mobilizing violence to prevent the inauguration of
Joe Biden.
Jeremy Bertino, 43, of Belmont,
N.C., agreed to cooperate with the Justice
Department against Tarrio and four other Proud Boys leaders with ties to influential
Donald Trump supporters Roger Stone and Alex Jones. The Proud Boys
defendants are set to face trial in December on charges including plotting to
oppose by force the presidential transition, culminating in the Jan. 6, 2021,
attack on the Capitol.
At a hearing before U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Kelly in Washington,
Bertino pleaded guilty to that count and to one count of illegal possession of
firearms as a former felon, punishable by 51 to 63 months in prison at
sentencing under advisory federal guidelines, prosecutors said.
In a sign of the sensitivity and potential importance of Bertino’s
testimony, prosecutors agreed that in exchange for “substantial cooperation,”
they could seek leniency at sentencing and enter Bertino into a Justice
Department witness protection program.
In plea papers, Bertino said Proud Boys leaders “agreed that the election
had been stolen, that the purpose of traveling to Washington, D.C., on January
6, 2021, was to stop the certification of the Electoral College vote, and that
the [Ministry of Self Defense*] leaders were willing to do whatever it would
take, including using force against police and others, to achieve that
objective.”
He admitted that at least two days earlier he received encrypted chat
messages indicating that members of the Proud Boys leadership group who called
themselves the Ministry of Self Defense “believed that storming the Capitol
would achieve the group’s goal” and would require using violence.
PHOTOGRAPH -- Bertino, carrying bullhorn, attends a rally at Freedom
Plaza in D.C. on Dec. 12, 2020. (Luis M. Alvarez/AP)
Bertino had a place in the inner circle of Proud Boys leaders accused of
conspiring to impede Congress with angry Trump supporters as lawmakers met to
certify the election results. Bertino’s home in North Carolina was searched in
March at the same time that Tarrio was arrested on charges that he and at least
the four others “directed, mobilized and led” a crowd of 200 to 300 supporters
onto Capitol grounds. Many in that crowd are accused of leading some of the
earliest and most aggressive attacks on police and property.
At the time of the search, Bertino allegedly
possessed two pistols, a shotgun, a bolt-action rifle and two semiautomatic
AR-15-style rifles with scopes. Bertino was convicted in 2004 of first-degree reckless
endangerment in New York state, a felony, and sentenced to five years of
probation with a period of local jail time, according to court filings.
Bertino’s testimony could implicate Tarrio, a
former aide to GOP strategist Stone, and co-defendant
Joe Biggs, a former employee of Jones’s online Infowars show. Stone and Jones are two prominent right-wing figures who
promoted Trump’s incendiary and baseless assertions that the election
was stolen.
Stone
remained in contact with Trump at Mar-a-Lago in Florida and in Washington in
the weeks leading up to the Jan. 6 attack, coordinated post-election protests
and privately strategized with figures such as former national security adviser
Michael Flynn and “Stop the Steal” organizer Ali Alexander, The Washington
Post has reported.
RELATED ARTICLE -- Post exclusive: The Roger Stone Tapes -- Video shows
effort to overturn 2020 election results
Stone also communicated via encrypted
texts after the 2020 election with Tarrio as well as Stewart Rhodes, the founder and
leader of a second right-wing extremist group, the Oath Keepers, accused of
playing an outsize role in planning for and organizing violence at the Capitol.
Rhodes was on trial Thursday on seditious conspiracy charges in the same
courthouse where Bertino pleaded.
Before Bertino, all four of 14 people hit
with the historically rare charge of seditious conspiracy in the Capitol riots who have pleaded guilty were affiliated with
the Oath Keepers.
Tarrio and Rhodes were part of a Signal chat
group titled F.O.S. — or Friends of Stone, and the pair met
in an underground parking garage next to the Capitol the
evening before Jan. 6 with leaders of two pro-Trump
grass-roots groups.
Jones, meanwhile,
promoted a Nov. 20, 2020, podcast by Tarrio with Biggs
and co-defendant Ethan Nordean in which Tarrio
suggested in an expletive-laden call that Trump supporters infiltrate the Biden
inauguration and turn it into a “circus, a sign of resistance, a
sign of revolution.”
PHOTOGRAPH -- Former Proud Boys chairman Henry “Enrique” Tarrio. (Joshua
Lott/The Washington Post)
Rhodes, Tarrio, Nordean and
Biggs have pleaded not guilty to seditious conspiracy and other charges. Stone, who has not been charged, has denied
involvement in the Jan. 6 riot. He has previously told The Post: “Any claim, assertion or implication that I knew about,
was involved in or condoned the illegal acts at the Capitol on Jan.
6 is categorically false and there is no witness
or document that proves otherwise.”
An attorney for Alexander said he testified before a federal
grand jury this summer after being assured he was not a target of the
investigation. Jones has said he did not lead but followed the crowd to the Capitol that
day, grew alarmed by the chaos and recorded
himself urging calm and directing others not to fight
police.
Tarrio and Bertino were not in Washington on Jan. 6,
the only two of more than 870 federally charged
defendants who were elsewhere. But in sworn plea papers that largely
restated the 10-count indictment against
Tarrio and others, Bertino corroborated many of prosecutors’
allegations against the others, and admitted joining in calls for
violence including against police, whose support the Proud Boys have long tried
to cultivate.
VIDEO -- 4:02 MIN., Videos show meeting with Stewart Rhodes day before
Jan. 6, Released videos show Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio meeting Oath
Keepers leader Stewart Rhodes the day before the attack on the Capitol. (Video:
U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia)
Bertino was a regional leader in charge of recruiting handpicked members
for the MOSD. He said the group was trying on Dec. 30, 2020, to prepare for the
expected arrest of Tarrio for burning a Black Lives Matter flag at an earlier
pro-Trump rally in Washington, speculating that it might cause Proud Boys and others
gathering for Jan. 6 to “riot.”
“Maybe it’s the shot heard round the world and the normies will f--- up
the cops,” Bertino admitted saying.
Tarrio was arrested Jan. 4, released on bond and later pleaded guilty and
completed a jail term this year.
RELATED ARTICLE -- Proud Boys leader charged with conspiracy in Capitol
insurrection
On Jan. 4, according to his indictment, Tarrio posted a voice message to
an MOSD leaders group of Proud Boys, stating, “I didn’t hear this voice note
until now, you want to storm the Capitol.” After the Capitol was breached,
Tarrio wrote in a Telegram group chat, “We did this,” prosecutors said.
That night, Bertino — previously identified as “Individual A” or “Person
1” in charging papers — acknowledged messaging Tarrio, “Brother you know we
made this happen,” and “1776,” exulting with a profanity. Tarrio replied, “The
Winter Palace*,” according to Tarrio’s indictment. Prosecutors allege it is a
reference to a Proud Boys planning document that had a section called “Storm the
Winter Palace,” referring to the Russian Revolution of 1917 and the former
imperial palace in St. Petersburg that was raided by Bolsheviks, CNN first
reported.
Bertino has been on the radar of both the FBI and a House select
committee investigating the events of Jan. 6. Bertino told the House panel that
membership “tripled” after Trump famously urged the Proud Boys to “stand back
and stand by” during a 2020 presidential debate, according to a video clip of
his interview played during a House hearing in June.
Social media posts, video recordings from Jan. 6 and earlier charging
papers by the FBI also indicate that Nordean and Proud Boys leaders were
motivated to confront police that day in part by what they perceived to be an
insufficient response to the stabbing of Bertino outside Harry’s Bar in
downtown Washington after a pro-Trump demonstration the previous month.
The Oath Keepers trial
The latest: Members of the extremist group Oath Keepers, led by founder
Stewart Rhodes, planned for an armed rebellion “to shatter a bedrock of
American democracy” on Jan. 6, a prosecutor told a jury. Here’s what happened
on the second day of testimonies.
How did we get here: Stewart Rhodes and other members of his group have
been charged with seditious conspiracy in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S.
Capitol.
Who is involved: A 13-count indictment charges Stewart Rhodes and eight
others with conspiring to use force to oppose the lawful transfer of power to
President Biden. Here are the nine Oath Keepers on trial.
DOJ PRESS RELEASE OCTOBER 6, 2022
https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/former-leader-proud-boys-pleads-guilty-seditious-conspiracy-efforts-stop-transfer-power
Department of Justice
Office of Public Affairs
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, October
6, 2022
Former Leader of Proud Boys Pleads Guilty to
Seditious Conspiracy for Efforts to Stop Transfer of Power Following 2020
Presidential Election
Defendant Also Pleaded to Firearms Charge Stemming from Search of Home
This Year
A former leader of the Proud Boys pleaded guilty today to seditious
conspiracy for his actions before and during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on
Jan. 6, 2021. His and others’ actions sought to stop the transfer of power by
disrupting a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count
the electoral votes related to the presidential election.
Jeremy Bertino, 43, pleaded guilty in the District
of Columbia to seditious conspiracy in connection with the Capitol breach. He
also pleaded guilty to a charge of unlawful possession of a firearm, stemming
from a court-authorized search of his residence in March 2022. As part of the
plea agreement, Bertino has agreed to cooperate with the government’s ongoing
investigation.
According to court documents, the Proud Boys describe themselves as
members of a “pro-Western fraternal organization for men who refuse to
apologize for creating the modern world, aka Western Chauvinists.” Bertino
joined the Proud Boys in approximately 2018 and was, for a time, the vice
president of his local Proud Boys chapter in South Carolina.
As stated in the court documents, on multiple occasions in 2020, Bertino
traveled to Washington, D.C., for rallies as a member of the Proud Boys. During
one trip, on Dec. 12, 2020, several individuals, including Bertino and other
Proud Boys members, were involved in an altercation. During that altercation,
Bertino, among others, was stabbed. Bertino was hospitalized, released, and was
still recovering outside of the Washington D.C. area from his injuries as of
Jan. 6, 2021. Otherwise, he would have traveled to Washington.
In December 2020, Bertino accepted an invitation from Enrique Tarrio,
then Proud Boys’ national chairman, to join a new chapter that Tarrio had
devised called the “Ministry of Self Defense” (MOSD). In the weeks leading to
Jan. 6, Bertino participated in encrypted chats and other communication with
members of MOSD leadership. Bertino understood from his discussions with MOSD
leadership that they agreed that the presidential election had been stolen,
that the purpose of traveling to Washington on Jan. 6, 2021, was to stop the certification
of the Electoral College Vote, and that the MOSD leaders were willing to do
whatever it would take, including using force against police and others, to
achieve that objective.
Bertino continued to participate in planning sessions as he recovered
from his injures. At least as early as Jan. 4, 2021, he received encrypted chat
messages indicating that members of MOSD leadership were discussing the
possibility of storming the Capitol. On Jan. 6, Bertino monitored activities
through mainstream and social media, as well as posting in the MOSD chats. He
posted messages himself to MOSD leaders and members to encourage and assist in
the operation, such as advising those on the grounds of the Capitol to “form a
spear.” Similarly, Bertino posted to his public social media account, “DO NOT
GO HOME. WE ARE ON THE CUSP OF SAVING THE CONSTITUTION.” On the evening of Jan.
6, 2021, Bertino messaged Tarrio and celebrated the achievement, saying, among
other things, “You know we made this happen,” and “1776 motherf****r.”
The firearms charge stems from an FBI search of Bertino’s residence on
March 8, 2022. While executing a search warrant, agents located six firearms,
including an AR-15 style firearm with a scope, and more than 3,000 rounds of
ammunition. Bertino was barred from possessing firearms and/or ammunition due
to a previous conviction.
Bertino was charged in a criminal information that was filed today. Five
other members of the Proud Boys, including Tarrio, were indicted on June 6,
2022, on seditious conspiracy and other charges. They have pleaded not guilty
and are awaiting trial. A sixth member of the group, Charles Donohoe, 34, of
Kernersville, North Carolina, pleaded guilty on April 8, 2022, to conspiracy to
obstruct an official proceeding and assaulting, resisting, or impeding
officers.
Bertino faces a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison for seditious
conspiracy and up to 10 years in prison for the firearms charge. The charges
also carry potential financial penalties. No sentencing date was set. A federal
district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S.
Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the
District of Columbia, the Department of Justice National Security Division’s
Counterterrorism Section and the Department of Justice Criminal Division’s
Organized Crime and Gang Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S.
Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina.
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington, Charlotte, and
Columbia, South Carolina Field Offices.
In the 20 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 870 individuals have been
arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S.
Capitol, including over 265 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law
enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing.
Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit
tips.fbi.gov.
Topic(s):
National Security
Firearms Offenses
Component(s):
National Security Division (NSD)
Press Release Number:
22-1076
Updated October 6, 2022
IN JUNE OF 2022 TARRIO AND OTHERS WERE INDICTED
FOR NUMEROUS CHARGES INCLUDING SEDITIOUS CONSPIRACY AND ARE BEING INVESTIGATED BY, AMONG OTHER
GROUPS, THE DOJ'S ORGANIZED CRIME AND GANG SECTION. IT COULD BE ARGUED THAT
TRUMP HAS ACTED LIKE A CRIME BOSS, HIMSELF. WILL THE OATH KEEPERS RECEIVE THE
SAME TREATMENT AS THE PROUD BOYS? WHAT ABOUT THE DOZENS OF "MILITIAS"
THAT ARE SPREAD ACROSS THE COUNTRY? WHAT ABOUT POSSIBLE INVOLVEMENT ON THE PART
OF THE NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION IN SOME OF THIS?
https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/pr/leader-proud-boys-and-four-other-members-indicted-federal-court-seditious-conspiracy-an-0
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, June 6,
2022
Leader of Proud Boys and Four Other Members
Indicted in Federal Court For Seditious Conspiracy
and Other Offenses Related to U.S. Capitol Breach
New Charges in Superseding Indictment
WASHINGTON – A federal
grand jury in the District of Columbia returned a superseding indictment today charging five members of the Proud Boys,
including the group’s former national chairman, with seditious conspiracy and
other charges for their actions before and during the breach of the U.S.
Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Their actions disrupted a joint session of the U.S.
Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the
presidential election.
The defendants include Henry “Enrique” Tarrio, 38, of Miami, Florida, the former
national chairman of the Proud Boys; Ethan Nordean, 31, of Auburn, Washington;
Joseph Biggs, 38, of Ormond Beach, Florida; Zachary Rehl, 37, of Philadelphia,
and Dominic Pezzola, 44, of Rochester, New York. All previously were indicted
and remain detained. They pleaded not guilty to charges contained in earlier
indictments.
The superseding
indictment adds two charges to the earlier
indictment: one count of seditious conspiracy, and one count of conspiracy to
prevent an officer from discharging any duties. All defendants now
face a total of nine charges, and Pezzola faces an additional
robbery charge. The defendants are scheduled to appear for a hearing on June 9, 2022, in the District of Columbia
According to court
documents, the Proud Boys describe themselves as members of a “pro-Western fraternal
organization for men who refuse to apologize for
creating the modern world, aka Western Chauvinists.” Through at least
Jan. 6, 2021, Tarrio was the national chairman of the organization. In mid-December of 2020, Tarrio created a special chapter
of the Proud Boys known as the “Ministry of
Self Defense.” As alleged in the indictment, from in
or around December 2020, Tarrio and his co-defendants, all of whom
were leaders or members of the Ministry of Self Defense,
conspired to prevent, hinder and delay the
certification of the Electoral College vote, and to oppose by force the
authority of the government of the United States. On Jan. 6, 2021, the defendants directed, mobilized, and
led members of the crowd onto the Capitol grounds and into the Capitol, leading
to dismantling of metal barricades, destruction of property, breaching of the
Capitol building, and assaults on law enforcement. During and after the attack, Tarrio and his
co-defendants claimed credit for what had happened on social media and in an
encrypted chat room.
A sixth defendant, who was earlier charged with the group,
pleaded guilty on April 8, 2022. Charles
Donohoe, 34, of Kernersville, North Carolina, pleaded guilty to
conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding and assaulting, resisting, or impeding
officers.
This case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of
Columbia, the Department of Justice National
Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section, and the Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Organized
Crime and Gang Section.
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office. The charges in
the investigation are the result of significant
cooperation between agents and staff across numerous FBI Field Offices, and law
enforcement agencies.
In the 17 months since
Jan. 6, 2021, more than 800 individuals have
been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the
U.S. Capitol, including over 250 individuals charged with assaulting or
impeding law enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI
(800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all
defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt
in a court of law.
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
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