Authorities have arrested two organizers of the far-right group, the Proud Boys, and charged them with conspiracy in a new criminal indictment that was not sealed on Friday. Prosecutors say the men used paramilitary equipment, handheld radios and encrypted messaging programs to coordinate with other Proud Boys before and during the attack.
Authorities have charged Zach Rehl, 35, of Pennsylvania and Charles Donohoe, 33, of North Carolina, saying both men are presidents of their local Proud Boys chapters. They have been named as co-defendants in a new criminal indictment that also charges two other Proud Boys leaders: Joseph Biggs, a veteran of the military and a self-described organizer of Proud Boys who was arrested in January, and Ethan Nordean, a member of a Proud Boys leadership group known as the Elders, and also a president of his local chapter. Nordean was charged earlier this month.
Prosecutors said the four accused participated in an encrypted conversation with at least 60 other people during the attack, and some used programmed handheld radios to communicate in real time.
The Proud Boys, a nationalist group that describes itself as ‘Western chauvinists’, voted in favor of former President Trump, and law enforcers and former members said Mr. Trump encouraged their actions after telling the group to ‘stand back and stand’ in a presidential debate in September.
With the arrest of Donohoe and Rehl, federal prosecutors have now charged at least 16 Capitol rioters who they say are related in court documents to the Proud Boys.
Prosecutors described defendants’ social media messages from the fall, indicating that they believe the election of Mr. Trump was stolen.
On November 5, Biggs posted on social media: “It’s time to wage war if they steal this s ***.”
Later that month, Rehl wrote, “Hopefully the shooting groups are for the traitors who are trying to steal the American people’s election.”
Court documents show that the men started traveling to Washington, and pages start with crowdfunding to pay for expenses such as ‘protective equipment and communications’ and ‘travel expenses for the upcoming Patriot events’. A travel expenses campaign raised more than $ 5,500 donations between December 30 and January 4.
Prosecutors said all four defendants at different times repeated the message that group members should avoid wearing the Proud Boys’ distinctive colors black and yellow. The government has said that by doing so, they have a plan to evade detection by law enforcement. ‘
Prosecutors created a new encrypted messaging channel called ‘Boots on the Ground’ for communication by DC Proud Boys members in DC a day before the attack, which included more than 60 users, including Nordean, Biggs, Rehl and Donohoe.
The night before the attack, someone posted a message asking members to meet at the Washington Monument at 6 a.m. on January 6th. The message reads: ‘Details will be announced at the pre-meeting!’
Biggs wrote in an encrypted chat that he was only talking to the chairman of the Proud Boys. “We have a plan,” he said.
Prosecutors said on the day of the attack that Nordean, Biggs, Rehl and Donohoe were part of a crowd that broke down and stormed past several police stations and entered the U.S. Capitol.
According to prosecutors, Nordean and Biggs used a bullhorn to lead the group, and several men in the group, including Biggs and Rehl, kept walkie-talkie-style communication devices. Biggs and Rehl entered the Capitol through a door opened by another Proud Boys member, Dominic Pezzola, prosecutors said.
In a video, prosecutors say Biggs could see the Capitol enter within less than 20 seconds after a door was broken by the crowd. In the video, he said, “That’s great!”
After the attack, the four accused celebrated on social media and in encrypted chat messages, prosecutors said.
Rehl posted a message saying, “I’m proud of what we accomplished yesterday, but we need to start planning and start planning for a Biden presidency.”
Donohoe said: “We stormed the capital unarmed.” He added: “And we took it over unarmed.”
The four accused are charged on six charges with crimes, including conspiracy, as well as charges related to obstruction of an official process, obstruction of law enforcement, destruction of government property and disorderly conduct in restricted areas.
More than twenty defendants facing federal charges in the Capitol riot have so far been charged with conspiracy, including ten members of the extremist group the Oath Guards, who are charged as accomplices and accused of being before and during the attack. coordinated.