March 21 (UPI) — Four Proud Boys conspired to take part in the deadly U.S. Capitol riot on Jan. 6, a new indictment shows.
The March 10 indictment was unsealed Friday, after the arrest of two of the men Wednesday and the other two in January and February.
Authorities arrested Zach Rehl, 35, of Philadelphia and Charles Donohoe, 33, of Kernersville, N.C., on Wednesday. Both are presidents of their local Proud Boys chapters, investigators said. .
Rehl and Donohoe were named in the 18-page indictment as two of the four alleged conspirators. Ethan Nordean, also known as “Rufio Panman,” 30, of Auburn, Wash.,, a Proud Boys Elders chapter member and local chapter president, was also listed in indictment, along with Joseph Biggs, also known as “Sergeant Biggs,” 37, of Ormond Beach, Fla., a self-described organizer of certain Proud Boys events. Nordean was arrested in February and Biggs was arrested in January.
The four men conspired to disrupt Congress’ certification of the presidential election by storming the Capitol building on Jan. 6 in the riot that killed four rioters and a police officer, according to the new indictment.
The Proud Boys organization describes itself as a “pro-Western fraternal organization for men who refuse to apologize for creating the modern world; aka Western Chauvinists,” and the group is led by members known as the “Elders” chapter, according to the indictment.
Members often wear black and yellow polo shirts with Proud Boy logos to public events, but a Proud Boys chairman said in the indictment they planned to go “incognito” and wear all Black on Jan. 6.
“If you feel bad for the police, you are part of the problem,” Nordean said in a message on social media, according to the indictment. “They care more about federal property (our property) than protecting and serving the people. Back the Black and Yellow.”
The four defendants used handheld radios and encrypted chat messages to coordinate and carry out the attack, and social media to praise themselves for the attack afterwards, the indictment said.
The indictment lists six counts against the men, including charges of conspiracy; obstruction of an official proceeding and aiding and abetting; obstruction of law enforcement; destruction of government property; entering and remaining in a restricted building; and disorderly conduct.
Earlier this month, federal authorities charged two other men with assaulting U.S. Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick who later died from injuries sustained in the attack.
Also, earlier this month, federal prosecutors said in a filing that more than 300 people have been charged and they expect to charge another 100, as they sought court delays to deal with the number of cases.
More than 20 defendants face federal charges of conspiracy in the Capitol riot, including 10 members of the Oath Keepers, which the Anti-Defamation League describes on its website as a “large and loosely organized anti-government extremist group.”
