Hawaii Proud Boys leader to plead guilty in US Capitol case

HONOLULU (AP) — The founder of the Hawaii chapter of the far-right extremist group the Proud Boys intends to plead guilty to charges related to the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.

Nicholas Ochs entered an agreement with federal prosecutors in which he will plead guilty to obstructing an official proceeding, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported, and the government will drop another dozen charges against him and an alleged accomplice.

Ochs was arrested in Hawaii the day after the mob he was a part of entered the Capitol in protest of former President Donald Trump’s election defeat. Ochs posted a photo of himself on Twitter inside the Capitol, grinning and smoking a cigarette.

The dropped charges will include theft, destruction of government property, engaging in physical violence in a restricted building and conspiracy.

Ochs was the Republican Party’s candidate to represent Waikiki in the state House of Representatives in the November 2020 election. Ochs lost to Democrat Adrian Tam after winning nearly 30% of the vote.

A plea hearing is scheduled for Friday.

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This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Nicholas Ochs’ first name.