December 20, 2023
Charles Donohoe cooperated with federal prosecutors and pleaded guilty in 2020 to felony charges of conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding and assaulting, resisting, or impeding police.
A former president of the North Carolina chapter of the white supremacist Proud Boys group was sentenced on Dec. 19 to just over three years in federal prison for his role in the Jan. 6 insurrection. According to PBS Newshour, Charles Donohoe cooperated with federal prosecutors and pleaded guilty in 2020 to felony charges of conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding and assaulting, resisting, or impeding police.
Because Donohoe has been incarcerated for nearly three years, with credit for time already served, he could be released as soon as February 2024. According to U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly, Donohoe seems to be legitimately remorseful, as he told him at one point during the sentencing hearing, “I think you’ve got all the ingredients here to put this behind you.”
Donohoe apologized to his family, law enforcement officers who were guarding the Capitol building on Jan. 6, and the United States of America at the hearing, before saying “I knew what I was doing was illegal from the very moment those barricades got knocked down.”
Justice Dept recommends leniency in Jan 6 Proud Boys conspiracy case of Charles Donohoe of North Carolina… to send "message" about value of Donohoe's cooperation w/ investigation
They recommend approx. 3-years prison for Donohoe, 35, a former Marinehttps://t.co/xnii4Ph2ur
The prosecutors only recommended a sentence ranging from 35 to 43 months, but sentencing guidelines for his crimes indicated that Donahoe’s sentence normally carries a 70- to 87-month range. This appears to be a sign that federal prosecutors believe that Donohoe’s attempts to distance himself from the Proud Boys are not a cynical attempt to avoid a lengthy prison sentence.
According to court documents obtained by PBS Newshour, prosecutors argued in a filing that “Donohoe and his co-conspirators organized and led a small army as they launched an attack on the heart of our democracy. They took these actions because they did not like the outcome of the election.” However, they also asserted that he deserved credit for both early acceptance of his responsibility in the insurrection and cooperation with the prosecution.
As reported by The Associated Press, over 1,200 people have been charged with federal crimes related to the Capitol insurrection. Around 900 of those individuals have either pled guilty or been sentenced by a judge or a jury after trials. 700 people have already been sentenced.
According to Donahoe’s defense attorney, Ira Knight, the second Iraq war era Marine Corps veteran is attempting to put his Proud Boys affiliation behind him, saying Donohoe “eagerly divorced himself” from the White supremacist organization. Knight also said that it took his client time to come to grips with his role in the insurrection, telling The AP, “It took Charlie time to understand the nature of his wrong.”
RELATED CONTENT: Department Of Justice Plans To Appeal Sentences Of Proud Boys Over January 6th Insurrection
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