From our sister site The Waterland Blog:

Local Proud Boy Ethan Nordean and four others have been charged with seditious conspiracy in the widening Jan. 6 insurrection case, the Department of Justice announced on Monday, June 6, 2022.

Nordean – the self-described “Sergeant-At-Arms” of the extremist group – is the son of Mike Nordean, owner of Wally’s Chowder House in Des Moines. He lived in unincorporated King County near Auburn and apparently worked at two of the restaurant’s regional locations, including Des Moines, prior to becoming more involved in the extremist group’s activities.

A federal grand jury in the District of Columbia returned the superseding indictment Monday, charging five members of the Proud Boys – including Nordean – with seditious conspiracy and other charges for their actions before and during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Their actions disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the presidential election.

Nordean – who uses the pseudonym “Rufio Panman” – was arrested last year for participating in the Jan. 6, 2021 pro-Trump insurrection.

As The Waterland Blog previously reported, Nordean was arrested and originally charged with obstructing or impeding an official proceeding, among other charges.

The new 10-count superseding indictment returned Monday morning charges Henry “Enrique” Tarrio, Dominic Pezzola, along with Nordean, Joe Biggs, and Zachary Rehl, with coordinating travel to Washington D.C. and the movements of the group around the Capitol that day. The group is also accused of plotting to foment a riot and storm Congress, actions that eventually forced the evacuation of lawmakers meeting to confirm the 2020 election results.

The DOJ says that in the 17 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 800 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including over 250 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement.

The House Select Committee investigating the attacks is expected to discuss and review such connections and charges in public hearings, which begin this Thursday, June 9.

The Proud Boys are an extremist, self-proclaimed “western chauvinist group” known for fighting with “antifa” demonstrators in the Northwest. At least eight men linked to the group have been charged in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.