Nicholas Ochs
Nicholas Ochs | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1985 or 1986 (age 39–40)[1] |
| Alma mater | University of Hawaiʻi |
| Employer | United States Marine Corps |
| Organization | Proud Boys |
| Known for | Participation in the January 6 United States Capitol attack |
Political party | Republican |
| Conviction | Obstructing an official proceeding (18 U.S.C. § 1512) |
Criminal penalty | 4 years imprisonment |
Nicholas Ochs (born 1985 or 1986), sometimes Nick Ochs, is a former U.S. Marine, a 2020 Republican Hawaii House of Representatives candidate and the founder of the Proud Boys' Hawaii chapter.
After taking part in January 6 United States Capitol attack, he pleaded guilty to obstructing a federal proceeding and was sentenced to four years in prison. He was pardoned on January 20, 2025, by Donald Trump.
Education
[edit]Ochs attended the University of Hawaiʻi.[2]
Career
[edit]Ochs has worked as a U.S. Marine, based in Hawaii.[3]
Politics
[edit]In November 2020,[2] Ochs ran as a Republican candidate to represent the Waikiki[4] neighborhood in the Hawaii House of Representatives.[1] He won the primary but lost the general election[2] to Democratic candidate Adrian Tam.[5] During the election, Ochs's campaign page was removed from Facebook for breaching the company's terms of service.[5] Ochs won 29.7% of the vote, Tam won 63%.[6] Ochs's campaign was endorsed by Roger Stone.[7]
Capitol attack
[edit]| January 6 United States Capitol attack |
|---|
| Timeline • Planning |
| Background |
| Participants |
| Aftermath |
Ochs is a high ranking "elder" of the Proud Boys right wing extremist organization.[2] In 2021 during the January 6 United States Capitol attack, Ochs threw smoke bombs at police officers and trespassed into the United States Capitol where he smoked cigarettes.[3] The same day, he posted a photograph in front of the words "Murder the Media".[1]
Ochs was taken into custody on January 7, 2021. On February 3, 2021, he was indicted by a federal grand jury of the District of Columbia for conspiracy to obstruct the United States Congress.[8]
In September 2022, Ochs pleaded guilty to obstructing a federal proceeding in a joint prosecution with Nicolas DeCarlo.[3][9] During his court appearance, Ochs claimed he was a journalist.[2] In December 2022, he was fined $5,000 and sentenced to four years in prison and three years of supervised release.[3][10][11] In November 2024, his conviction was vacated following the Supreme Court's decision in Fischer v. United States, and he was released pending a new trial.[12] On January 16, 2025, he and co-defendant Nicholas DeCarlo were re-indicted on nine counts in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.[13] He was pardoned on January 20, 2025, by Donald Trump.[14]
Personal life
[edit]He is married[15] and lived in Honolulu, Hawaii.[3] In 2016, he and his wife appeared in an episode of Divorce Court.[16]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- 1 2 3 "Hawaii Proud Boys leader sentenced for actions at insurrection". Honolulu Star-Advertiser. December 10, 2022. Archived from the original on December 11, 2022. Retrieved December 12, 2022.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Grube, Nick (November 29, 2022). "DOJ Seeks 4-Year Prison Sentence For Hawaii Proud Boys Founder". Honolulu Civil Beat. Archived from the original on December 12, 2022. Retrieved December 12, 2022.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Founder of Proud Boys' Hawaii chapter, Texas man sentenced to 4 years in Jan. 6 riot". NBC News. December 10, 2022. Archived from the original on December 11, 2022. Retrieved December 12, 2022.
- ↑ "Proud Boys Hawaii leader, friend plead guilty in Jan. 6 riot". WSB-TV Channel 2 - Atlanta. September 9, 2022. Archived from the original on December 12, 2022. Retrieved December 12, 2022.
- 1 2 Sakshi Venkatraman (November 9, 2020). "Adrian Tam defeats local Proud Boys leader, becomes only gay Asian American in Hawaii House". NBC News. Archived from the original on September 21, 2022. Retrieved December 12, 2022.
- ↑ Dayton, Kevin (November 4, 2020). "Hawaii Legislature: GOP Loses A House Seat, Stays Even In The Senate". Honolulu Civil Beat. Archived from the original on December 12, 2022. Retrieved December 12, 2022.
- ↑ Grube, Nick (September 23, 2020). "Trump Ally Roger Stone Endorses 'Proud Boy' For Hawaii House". Honolulu Civil Beat. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
- ↑ "Texas Man, Self-Proclaimed Leader of Honolulu Proud Boys Now Indicted by a Federal Grand Jury for Conspiracy to Obstruct Congress" (Press release). Washington, D.C.: United States Department of Justice. February 3, 2021. Archived from the original on May 24, 2026. Retrieved June 16, 2026.
- ↑ "Two Men Plead Guilty to Felony Charge for Actions During Jan. 6 Capitol Breach" (Press release). Washington, D.C.: United States Department of Justice. September 9, 2022. Archived from the original on May 20, 2026. Retrieved June 16, 2026.
- ↑ "Texas man who wrote 'Murder the Media' on Capitol door gets 4-year sentence". East Bay Times. December 10, 2022. Archived from the original on December 11, 2022. Retrieved December 12, 2022.
- ↑ "Two Men Sentenced to Prison Terms For Actions During Jan. 6 Capitol Breach" (Press release). Washington, D.C.: United States Department of Justice. December 9, 2022. Archived from the original on May 21, 2026. Retrieved June 16, 2026.
- ↑ Howell, Beryl A. "Memorandum Opinion" (PDF). CourtRecap. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
- ↑ "Superseding Indictment" (PDF). CourtRecap. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
- ↑ "Granting Pardons and Commutation of Sentences for Certain Offenses Relating to the Events at or Near the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021". January 21, 2025.
- ↑ Grube, Nick (October 11, 2020). "QAnon Conspiracies, Proud Boys And The Future of Hawaii's GOP". Honolulu Civil Beat. Archived from the original on December 12, 2022. Retrieved December 12, 2022.
- ↑ "Divorce Court 2016 Episode". YouTube. January 20, 2021. Retrieved February 10, 2025.
External links
[edit]- Ochs for Hawaii – official website (August 3, 2020, archive via Way Back Machine)