Nick Ochs is a free man, but freedom came through a legal battle few January 6th defendants have won. He didn’t receive a pardon; he earned his release when the Supreme Court revealed a critical flaw in the charge that cost him two years of his life.
The felony conviction, built on a misapplication of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, effectively vanished. Ochs had faced the possibility of four years in prison, a sentence he vehemently contested, stating he would have accepted a minor trespassing charge and a small fine. Instead, his profile as a political figure made him a target.
His experience is now chronicled in “Age of Rot: A Right Wing Dissident’s Prison Dispatches from a Torn America,” a book written entirely from within the walls of federal prison. It’s a raw, unfiltered look at life behind bars, laced with dark humor and sharp cultural observations.
The book isn’t a typical political memoir. Ochs details the bizarre realities of prison life – from the mundane task of sewing military pouches for mere pennies to the fantastical longing for a “fake gold cell phone” upon release. He paints a picture of a nation fractured, viewed through the lens of a political prisoner.
Within those pages, he exposes the absurdity of a two-tiered justice system and the relentless bureaucratic warfare designed to break his spirit. He recounts facing false accusations of inciting riots and enduring the isolation of solitary confinement, all while maintaining a defiant wit.
Perhaps the most poignant loss detailed in “Age of Rot” is the birth of his second son, Sean. Ochs missed those crucial first moments, experiencing them instead in the sterile environment of a prison visitation room – a stark illustration of the personal cost of his imprisonment.
The book offers a glimpse into the everyday struggles and surreal encounters within the prison system. He describes a strange peace he calls “Pax Libtardus” during the Biden years, and delivers a scathing critique of the administration that held him captive.
Early readers have lauded the book’s unique perspective. Gavin McInnes described Ochs as “compelling” and “the smartest person I’ve ever met,” while Milo Yiannopoulos declared it “a good January 6 book,” hoping it might finally quiet the ongoing debate.
Ochs’s story is one of remarkable resilience. He faced attempts to frame him for the DC pipe bomber incident, a chilling revelation within the book, and a system seemingly determined to see him fail. Yet, he refused to be broken, fighting for his freedom and ultimately prevailing.
His victory is a rare one for those caught in the aftermath of January 6th, but the time lost can never be recovered. “Age of Rot” stands as a testament to his fight and a powerful record of a tumultuous era.
