Former Proud Boys leader sentenced to more than 3 years in prison

CCharles Donohoe was the second Proud Boy to plead guilty to conspiring with other members of the far-right group to obstruct the January 6, 2021 joint session of Congress certifying President Joe Biden’s electoral victory, following the Democrat’s victory against Republican Donald Trump, in the 2020 presidential elections.

This sentence could be a signpost for other Proud Boys members who have agreed to cooperate with federal prosecutors.

Donohoe, 35, of Kernersville, North Carolina, apologized to his family, the police officers who protected the Capitol on January 6th and to “America as a whole” for his actions on January 6th.

U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly sentenced Donohoe to three years and four months in prison, but the American may be eligible for release within a month or two, taking into account the time in prison he has already served since his arrest. his arrest in March 2021.

Timothy Kelly stressed that Donohoe appears to be doing everything in his power to correct his crimes.

Donohoe was the leader of a local Proud Boys chapter in North Carolina and a lieutenant to former Proud Boys national president Enrique Tarrio, who was sentenced to 22 years in prison, the longest sentence imposed so far in the case related to the attack on Capitol.

According to Justice Department attorney Jason McCullough, Donohoe acted as “the eyes and ears of the local group” in Washington on the day of the attack on the Capitol, but prosecutors argued that the American deserved a benefit for his early acceptance of the responsibility and cooperation with the investigation.

On the morning of January 6, Donohoe walked with more than 100 members of the Proud Boys to the Capitol. Although he did not enter the building, he threw two bottles of water at police officers facing the crowd.

Donohoe, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who served two tours in Iraq, no longer has any connection to the Proud Boys, according to defense attorney Ira Knight.

More than 1,200 people have been charged with federal crimes in connection with the attack on the Capitol. Approximately 900 of these pleaded guilty or were convicted by a judge or jury after the trials. More than 700 were convicted.

A case revealed on Monday accuses a Florida political activist of storming the Capitol building on January 6 with a member of the Proud Boys. Barbara Balmaseda, 23, was arrested on Thursday and charged with obstruction of justice and disorderly conduct.

A Fox News station journalist who interviewed Balmaseda in 2021 identified her as the general director of the Miami Young Republicans.

The activist’s lawyer, Nayib Hassan, pointed out that the case against Balmaseda is politically motivated and considered her detention a “waste of law enforcement resources.”

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