The president of a North Carolina chapter of the far-right group the Proud Boys entered a plea agreement Friday with prosecutors investigating the assault on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
Charles Donohoe, 34, who has close ties to Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio, pleaded guilty to conspiracy and assaulting and impeding police officers. The maximum charges are 20 years for conspiracy and eight years for the assaulting and impeding police charge, although he’s expected to receive a lighter sentence for pleading guilty and cooperating with prosecutors.
As part of the plea agreement, Donohoe admitted that, “At least as early as January 4, 2021, and before he decided to travel to Washington, D.C., Donohoe was aware that members of MOSD leadership were discussing the possibility of storming the Capitol…Donohoe understood that storming the Capitol would be illegal.”
U.S. Government exhibit
Tarrio, Donohoe and other Proud Boys allegedly established what they called a “Ministry of Self Defense” (MOSD) organization, with Tarrio at the top of the power structure. “This group was to form the nucleus of leadership in a new chapter of the Proud Boys organization, which Tarrio described as a ‘national rally planning’ chapter. The first event targeted by the group was the rally in D.C. on January 6,” prosecutors wrote in court filings.
Ahead of the Jan. 6 rioting, Donohoe allegedly posted in the MOSD group chat that the Washington, D.C. government was attempting to “limit” protesters on January 6 to “deny Trump has the people’s support.” He added, “We can’t let them succeed.”
On Jan. 6, as protesters approached the Capitol building, Donohoe is accused of reporting that the group was on the Capitol grounds, messaging, “WE ARE 200-300” Proud Boys. Tarrio was not a part of the mob at the Capitol.
Prosecutors say Donohoe and his Proud Boy co-defendants charged the Capitol, breaching barricades. He allegedly then threw water bottles at a police line before assisting the crowd in overwhelming law enforcement guarding the entrance to the building.
“That action ultimately allowed Proud Boys member [Dominic] Pezzola to advance toward the Senate side of the Capitol, where, at approximately 2:13 p.m., Pezzola used the riot shield to break a large window,” prosecutors wrote in a memo in support of his pretrial detention last year. That document also alleged Donohoe sent a message during the riot that read, “feel like a complete warrior.”
Donohoe would be the first of Enrique Tarrio’s codefendants to enter into an agreement with the government, should the plea agreement hearing go as planned. Last year, Proud Boy Matthew Greene admitted to conspiracy charges and is cooperating with investigators.
However, Donohoe’s five other codefendants, including Tarrio, have all pleaded not guilty and currently intend to go to trial.
Scott MacFarlane contributed to this report.
