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Nicholas Ochs

Nicholas Ochs
Born1985 or 1986 (age 38–39)[1]
Alma materUniversity of Hawaiʻi
EmployerUnited States Marine Corps
OrganizationProud Boys
Known forJanuary 6 United States Capitol attack criminality
Political partyRepublican
Conviction(s)Obstructing an official proceeding (18 U.S.C. § 1512)
Criminal penalty4 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

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Ochs attended the University of Hawaiʻi.[2]

Career

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Ochs has worked as a U.S. Marine, based in Hawaii.[3]

Politics

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Main article: 2020 Hawaii House of Representatives election

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

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January 6 United
States Capitol attack
Timeline • Planning
Background
2020 presidential election
and other causes
Related groups and persons
Participants
Notable people
Organizations
Law enforcement response
Aftermath
Biden inauguration
Investigations and charges
Corporate actions
Reactions
Impeachment and 2024 presidential election

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]

In September 2022, Ochs pleaded guilty to obstructing a federal proceeding in a joint prosecution with Nicolas DeCarlo.[3] 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][8] 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.[9] On January 16, 2025, he and co-defendent Nicholas DeCarlo were re-indicted on nine counts in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.[10] He was pardoned on January 20, 2025, by Donald Trump.[11]

Personal life

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He is married[12] and lived in Honolulu, Hawaii.[3] In 2016, he and his wife appeared in a scripted episode of Divorce Court.[13]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "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.
  2. ^ a b c d e 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.
  3. ^ a b c d e "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.
  4. ^ "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.
  5. ^ a b 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.
  6. ^ 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.
  7. ^ Grube, Nick (September 23, 2020). "Trump Ally Roger Stone Endorses 'Proud Boy' For Hawaii House". Honolulu Civil Beat. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
  8. ^ "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.
  9. ^ Howell, Beryl A. "Memorandum Opinion" (PDF). CourtRecap. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
  10. ^ "Superseding Indictment" (PDF). CourtRecap. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
  11. ^ "Granting Pardons and Commutation of Sentences for Certain Offenses Relating to the Events at or Near the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021".
  12. ^ 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.
  13. ^ "Divorce Court 2016 Episode". YouTube. Retrieved February 10, 2025.
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