Local man aids Capitol riot prosecutions, report says

Guy Lucas, The High Point Enterprise, N.C.
·2 min read
4

Jul. 12—A Kernersville man who has admitted in court to a role in a far-right group's activities during the Jan. 6, 2021, riot and storming of the U.S. Capitol continues cooperating with prosecutors, according to a new court filing.

Charles "Charley" Donohoe, 34, pleaded guilty April 8 to conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding and assaulting, resisting or impeding police. Donohoe also agreed to aid prosecutors.

A status report jointly filed Friday in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia by federal prosecutors and Donohoe's attorney said, "As of the date of this filing, the parties do not anticipate that Donohoe's cooperation will be complete prior to December 12, 2022."

Donohoe was a regional president of the extremist Proud Boys and was a member of that group's Ministry of Self Defense leadership group. He is the only member of that leadership group who has pleaded guilty so far.

If Donohoe's sentencing will be contingent on his role during the trial of any Proud Boys leaders, his cooperation could easily extend into 2023. Currently Dec. 12 is the tentative date set for the start of jury selection, and the judge has estimated the trial could take a month.

The court documents filed when Donohoe pleaded guilty said that the Proud Boys leadership discussed as early as Jan. 4, 2021, the possibility of storming the Capitol to try to stop Congress from certifying the results of the 2020 presidential election.

Less than two months after Donohoe agreed to cooperate with prosecutors, a new indictment against other members of the Ministry of Self Defense charged them with seditious conspiracy.

Donohoe remains behind bars while awaiting sentencing. He has been in custody since his arrest in March 2021, but that time will count toward his prison sentence.

Prosecutors have said the estimated sentencing guideline range for Donohoe will be from close to six years to more than seven years. The judge will have discretion to depart from the guideline and sentence him to less if, for instance, prosecutors say he has been fully cooperative.

The next status report in Donohoe's case is due Oct. 2.