Nicholas Ochs | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1985or1986(age 38–39) [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, a convicted felon, 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.
Ochs attended the University of Hawaiʻi. [2]
Ochs has worked as a U.S. Marine, based in Hawaii. [3]
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]
| 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]
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-defendant 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]
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]