December 19th 2023.
Charles Donohoe, a former leader of the far-right Proud Boys extremist group, was sentenced to more than three years behind bars on Tuesday for joining a plot to attack the U.S. Capitol in January 2021. This sentence could set a precedent for other Proud Boys conspirators who have agreed to cooperate with federal prosecutors.
Donohoe, 35, of Kernersville, North Carolina, expressed remorse for his actions. He apologized to his family, law-enforcement officers, and "America as a whole." Donohoe stated that he knew what he was doing was illegal from the moment the barricades were knocked down.
U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly sentenced Donohoe to three years and four months in prison, though he may be released in a month or two due to the jail time he has already served since his arrest in March 2021. The Judge acknowledged Donohoe's efforts to make amends for his crimes and said that he has all the ingredients to put this behind him.
Donohoe was the president of a local Proud Boys chapter in North Carolina and a lieutenant of former Proud Boys national chairman Enrique Tarrio, who was sentenced to 22 years in prison - the longest prison term so far in a Capitol riot case. Tarrio and three other former Proud Boys leaders were convicted of seditious conspiracy charges for plotting to stop the peaceful transfer of presidential power from Donald Trump to Joe Biden earlier this year.
Donohoe pleaded guilty to two felony counts - conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding and assaulting, resisting or impeding police - in April 2020 and agreed to cooperate with federal authorities. Although he was not called to testify at the trial of the Proud Boys, prosecutors recommended a prison sentence ranging from 35 to 43 months for him, with sentencing guidelines recommending a prison term ranging from 70 to 87 months.
On the morning of Jan. 6, Donohoe marched with over 100 members of the Proud Boys to the Capitol. He threw two water bottles at officers confronting the mob outside the building, but did not enter the Capitol. Donohoe, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who served two deployments in Iraq, has since distanced himself from the Proud Boys.
More than 1,200 people have been charged with Capitol riot-related federal crimes. Approximately 900 of them have pleaded guilty or been convicted by a judge or jury after trials. Over 700 have been sentenced.
A case unsealed on Monday charges a local political activist from Florida, Barbara Balmaseda, with storming the Capitol building on Jan. 6 with a Proud Boys member. Balmaseda, 23, of Miami Lakes, Florida, was arrested in her hometown last Thursday on charges including obstruction of justice and disorderly conduct. Her attorney claims the case against her is politically motivated and believes her arrest was a “waste of law enforcement resources.” Balmaseda is relieved that the process will move towards a final resolution.
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