A former leader of the far-right Proud Boys extremist group was sentenced on Tuesday to more than three years behind bars for joining a plot to attack the U.S. Capitol nearly three years ago.

Charles Donohoe was the second Proud Boy to plead guilty to conspiring with other group members to obstruct the Jan. 6, 2021, joint session of Congress for certifying President Joe Biden’s electoral victory. His sentence could be a bellwether for other Proud Boys conspirators who agreed to cooperate with federal prosecutors.

Donohoe, 35, of Kernersville, North Carolina, apologized to his family, the law-enforcement officers who guarded the Capitol on Jan. 6 and “America as a whole” for his actions on Jan. 6.

“I knew what I was doing was illegal from the very moment those barricades got knocked down,” he said.

    • Cethin@lemmy.zip
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      11 months ago

      I’m generally against large prison sentences, but he deserves life. He was attempting to deprive all Americans from having a say in our democracy. It’s not like he was just hurting himself, or even just a few people.

      • thecrotch@sh.itjust.works
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        11 months ago

        Per the article, he got a deal because he cooperated. I’m guessing that means he gave them intel on other people they could go after. Considering how light of a sentence he got, I’m guessing it was someone valuable. If we throw the book at everyone who cooperates nobody will cooperate.

        • squiblet@kbin.social
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          11 months ago

          I guess but it seems like only 3-4 of them have gotten sentences higher than what you’d get for having a joint in Mississippi.

          • breakfastmtn
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            11 months ago

            His cooperation contributed to those 4 convictions for seditious conspiracy.

            In this case, the prosecution recommended 35-43 months. He got 40.

            Edit: by 4 convictions, I mean Enrique Tarrio, Ethan Nordean, Joseph Biggs, and Zachary Rehl.

        • Lem453
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          11 months ago

          We’ve been hearing this since 2021. Who are the big names that have been charged with insurrection as a result of all these lenient sentences?

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            11 months ago

            His cooperation seems to have led to serious convictions:

            Tarrio - 22 years

            Nordean - 18 years

            Biggs - 17 years

            Rehl - 15 years

            • KevonLooney@lemm.ee
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              11 months ago

              I love seeing people ask questions that easily tell us that they’re not paying attention.

              “When will someone be punished?!?”

              These dudes got decades in prison.

    • shalafi@lemmy.world
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      11 months ago

      A 10mm to the skull? C’mon. A 9mm would work just fine.

      Sorry y’all, I got PTSD from that day, can hardly talk about it without crying and screaming. Can’t look at pictures, let alone a 30-second video. Suffice to say, I’d pull the trigger myself and feel nothing.

  • grue@lemmy.world
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    11 months ago

    Comically-short prison sentence aside, look at the bright side: at least the PBS headline is actually admitting it’s an “insurrection” instead of downplaying it as a “riot.”

    • MagicShel@programming.dev
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      11 months ago

      It’s now a legal finding or fact of law or whatever the term is. Anyway a court said it’s insurrection so that probably unclenched the sphincters of news editors a bit.

      • grue@lemmy.world
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        11 months ago

        Still pretty dystopian that they’re too cowardly to state the obvious without legal cover…

        • SCB@lemmy.world
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          11 months ago

          PBS isn’t a rag, but rather a news source. News sources should be objective. You can find endless commentary online about how shitty these people are.

          • grue@lemmy.world
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            11 months ago

            Calling Jan 6 an insurrection is stating an objective fact. It was always stating an objective fact, even before the court ruled on it.

            • SCB@lemmy.world
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              11 months ago

              It was always stating an objective fact, even before the court ruled on it.

              This would be irresponsible reporting when discussing an ongoing criminal case, however.

  • pelespirit@sh.itjust.works
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    11 months ago

    That’s something I haven’t seen before.

    “I knew what I was doing was illegal from the very moment those barricades got knocked down,” he said.

  • Bappity@lemmy.world
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    11 months ago

    3 years. 3 YEARS?!? TREASON IS 3 MEASLY YEARS?!? what a shit justice system

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    11 months ago

    Glad that it happened, but it taking three years is absurd. This guy walked as a free man for such a long time. Can’t see it taking as long if he got charged with having a bag of shrooms, probably it could’ve got him a longer sentence too. But if he cooperated with authorities, maybe it means more charged idiots in the future? One can dream.

    • cybersandwich@lemmy.world
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      11 months ago

      He actually didn’t walk free. He’s been in jail this whole time I believe so he’s likely only going to serve a few more months. Which is a little disappointing

      • andrew_bidlaw@sh.itjust.works
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        11 months ago

        Which is, right. But it’s still a little bit less disappointing than having a former president and insurectionist still screeching idiotic propaganda and personal threats only limited by some lax gag orders. I’d love to see him behind the bars too, as a foreigner, for him supporting my opressive regime from falling down and finally becoming a proper country. I’d drink to that. And this person ending their sentence now is not as problematic, and even positive, as it means this system sometimes works right, at least for the lower ranks, and it has an opportunity to grow. It’s at least promising. Just a wish, but beggars can’t be choosers. Until there’s some magick like class consciousness happens.

  • vexikron@lemmy.zip
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    11 months ago

    It has been said before but:

    Fuck around and find out.

    Too bad his sentence doesnt have a 0 on the end, fascist piece of shit.

  • Alien Nathan Edward@lemm.ee
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    11 months ago

    sucks to suck traitor! Just think, with good behavior you could be out shortly into Biden’s second term!

  • Melllvar@startrek.website
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    11 months ago

    The judge said Donohoe seems to be doing everything in his power to make amends for his crimes.

    Oh? Is he planning to commit seppuku?