Authorities have arrested two organizers for far-right group The Proud Boys, accusing them of conspiracy in a new criminal indictment that closed Friday. Prosecutors say the men used paramilitary equipment, handheld radios and encrypted messaging apps to coordinate with other Proud Boys before and during the attack.
Authorities charged Zach Rehl, 35, of Pennsylvania and Charles Donohoe, 33, of North Carolina, and say both men are presidents of their local Proud Boys chapters. They were named co-conspirators in a new criminal charge that also charges two other Proud Boys leaders: Joseph Biggs, an army veteran and self-proclaimed organizer of Proud Boys who was arrested in January, and Ethan Nordean, a member of Proud Boys. a Proud Boys leadership group known as the Elders, and also chairman of its local chapter. Nordean was charged earlier this month.
Prosecutors said the four defendants participated in an encrypted chat with at least 60 more people during the attack, and some used programmed handheld radios to communicate in real time.
The Proud Boys, a self-proclaimed nationalist group called “Western chauvinists,” have given vocal support to former President Trump, and law enforcement and former members have said Mr. Trump encouraged his actions after telling him to the group that “stayed behind and stood by.” in a September presidential debate.
With the arrests of Donohoe and Rehl, federal prosecutors have now charged at least 16 riot police from the Capitol who according to court documents were related to the Proud Boys.
Prosecutors described the defendants’ posts on social media in the fall, indicating that they believed the election was stolen from Mr. Trump.
On Nov. 5, Biggs posted on social media, “It’s time to make war if they steal that shit.”
Later that month, Rehl wrote, “We hope the firing squads are for traitors trying to steal the election from the American people.”
Court documents show the men began planning to travel to Washington and began funding pages to pay for expenses such as “protective equipment and communications” and “Travel expenses for upcoming Patriot events.” A travel spending campaign raised more than $ 5,500 between Dec. 30 and Jan. 4.
Prosecutors said that at different times, the four defendants reiterated the message that members of the group should avoid wearing the black and yellow colors of the Proud Boys. The government said that in doing so, they were “planning to evade detection by law enforcement.”
The day before the attack, prosecutors said, a new encrypted messaging channel called “Boots on the Ground” was created for communications from Proud Boys members who were in DC, which included more than 60 users, including Nordean, Biggs, Rehl and Donohoe.
The night before the attack, someone posted a message urging members to gather at the Washington Monument at 10 a.m. on Jan. 6. The message said, “Details will be presented at the pre-meeting!”
Biggs wrote in an encrypted chat that he had just spoken to the president of the Proud Boys. “We have a plan,” he said.
On the day of the attack, prosecutors said Nordean, Biggs, Rehl and Donohoe were part of a crowd that dismantled and attacked several police barricades and entered the U.S. Capitol.
Nordean and Biggs used a megaphone to lead the group, prosecutors said, and several men in the group, including Biggs and Rehl, had walkie-talkie-type communication devices. Biggs and Rehl entered the Capitol through a door that had been opened by a different Proud Boys member, Dominic Pezzola, prosecutors said.
In a video, prosecutors say Biggs can be seen entering the Capitol less than 20 seconds after the crowd has opened a door. In the video, he said, “That’s amazing!”
After the attack, the four defendants celebrated on social media and in encrypted chat messages, prosecutors said.
Rehl posted a message saying, “I’m proud to do what we achieved yesterday, but we have to start planning and we’re starting to plan a Biden presidency.”
Donohoe said, “We stormed the unarmed chapter.” He added: “And we took it unarmed.”
The four defendants were charged with six felonies for offenses such as conspiracy, as well as charges related to obstruction of an official process, obstruction of law enforcement, destruction of government property, and conduct. disordered in restricted areas.
So far, more than 20 defendants facing federal charges in the Capitol revolt have been charged with conspiracy, including ten members of the extremist group The Oath Keepers, accused of co-conspirators and accused of coordinating before and during the attack. .