From the Justice Department:
Two men – including the founder of the Hawaii chapter of the Proud Boys – were each sentenced today to four years in prison for their actions during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
Their actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the presidential election.
Nicholas Ochs, 36, of Honolulu, and Nicholas DeCarlo, 32, of Fort Worth, Texas, pleaded guilty on Sept. 9, 2022, in the District of Columbia to obstruction of an official proceeding. Each was sentenced today to 48 months in prison, followed by 36 months of supervised release.
According to court documents, Ochs is the founder of the Hawaii chapter of the Proud Boys. 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.”
As of Jan. 6, 2021, Ochs also was an “Elder” within the Proud Boys. Elders had a senior leadership role within the group, with responsibilities including the approval of new chapters.
Ochs traveled from Honolulu to Washington, D.C., arriving on Jan. 5. That night, he stayed at a hotel in Virginia with DeCarlo, who had traveled from Texas. The two attended a rally at the Ellipse on Jan. 6 and then marched to the Capitol, where they joined other people who were illegally on the grounds.
They arrived at the West Front, near scaffolding in place for the inauguration. A line of police was attempting to keep the mob from the inaugural stage. Both men threw smoke bombs at the police line.
They then climbed the stairs to the Upper West Terrace. At approximately 2:23 p.m., Ochs and DeCarlo illegally entered the Capitol through the Senate Wing Doors.
They moved through the Crypt (where they filmed themselves smoking cigarettes), Capitol Visitor’s Center, East Foyer, Statuary Hall, and the Rotunda before exiting at 3 p.m.
Then, they approached the Chestnut-Gibson Memorial Door to the Capitol. There, DeCarlo wrote the words “Murder the Media” with a marker on the door, as Ochs recorded the action.
“Murder the Media” was the name of the men’s social media channel. DeCarlo and Ochs also rummaged through a U.S. Capitol Police duffel bag by the Memorial Door.
DeCarlo took a pair of plastic handcuffs. Walking away from the Capitol, with the building visible behind him, Ochs said, “sorry we couldn’t go live when we stormed the f—-in’ U.S. Capitol and made Congress flee.”
Video DeCarlo filmed inside: pic.twitter.com/qXlRVPws5o
— Ryan J. Reilly (@ryanjreilly) November 26, 2022
“…Ochs has been remorseless. After the riot, he contended he was simply acting as a professional journalist merely recording the event, a claim contradicted by, for example, the evidence showing him throwing smoke grenades at police.” https://t.co/8te9o30mq5 pic.twitter.com/CuFqbTWIJR
— Ryan J. Reilly (@ryanjreilly) November 26, 2022
UPDATE: Can confirm sentences for the Nicholases:
Nicholas Ochs: 4 years in prison, 3 years supervised release and a $5,000 fine + $2,000 in restitution.
Nicholas DeCarlo: 4 years in prison, 3 years supervised release and a $2,500 fine + $2,000 in restitution https://t.co/OLce8r9lF7
— Jordan Fischer (@JordanOnRecord) December 9, 2022
Adrian Tam becomes first gay Asian American to win a seat in Hawaii’s Legislature. He defeated local Proud Boys leader Nicholas Ochs #LGBTQ #Nondiscriminationhttps://t.co/PTMtnGWUgp
— National Equality Action Team (NEAT) (@theneatorg) November 10, 2020