White supremacist planned to blow up power site, feds say

A Tennessee man pinch ties to achromatic nationalist groups has been arrested aft national prosecutors opportunity he tried to usage what he thought was a drone packed pinch explosives to destruct a power station in Nashville, nan Justice Department said Monday.

Skyler Philippi, 24, was charged pinch attempting to usage a limb of wide demolition and attempting to destruct an power facility,  prosecutors said in a news release.

According to a precocious unsealed criminal complaint, Philippi allegedly told aggregate undercover sources from nan FBI that he wanted to rustle up aggregate power stations to "shock nan system" and lead to nan illness of nan nation's power grid. He besides allegedly talked astir different attacks, including a wide shooting astatine at YMCA installation and a scheme to derail a train successful Tennessee. Philippi allegedly told nan FBI sources that he was affiliated pinch aggregate achromatic supremacist groups and said he believed a conspiracy mentation astir nan 9/11 attacks. 

In September 2024, Philippi allegedly began detailing a scheme to connect explosives to a drone and alert it into an electrical substation. He referenced previous powerfulness grid attacks, and alleged that he wanted to onslaught aggregate substations, including 1 successful Nashville and 1 successful Louisville. Later successful nan month, he allegedly said he wanted to target 2 substations successful nan Nashville area. 

Philippi allegedly conducted a trial formation of nan drone nan time of nan planned attack.  Department of Justice

Philippi allegedly said pinch 1 of nan FBI sources astir supplying explosive materials. He said he wanted materials that could trim done three-quarter inch metal, according to nan complaint, and settled for thing nan root described arsenic "poor man's C-4." Philippi besides allegedly wanted to combine tube bombs and asked nan FBI root to supply him pinch achromatic powder to make nan bombs explode. 

Throughout October, Philippi stayed successful touch pinch nan FBI sources, allegedly discussing really they would debar being caught, outlining a scheme for nan attack, and giving updates astir nan drone, which he was building himself. He allegedly told nan quality root that he needed much explosives connected October 19. 

On Nov. 2, Philippi allegedly went to transportation retired nan attack. The undercover sources were pinch him each measurement of nan way, picking him up from his home, walking to Nashville, and providing him pinch inoperative explosives, prosecutors said. They allegedly conducted a trial formation of nan drone, drove by nan tract of nan substation, and again discussed nan scheme for nan attack. At nan edifice they were staying in, Philippi and nan sources allegedly conducted a Nordic ritual associated pinch achromatic supremacist groups. It progressive each of nan participants reciting a Norse dream and discussing nan Norse deity Odin. 

When asked if he was judge astir nan attack, Philippi allegedly told nan agents that he was "fully committed" and that it was "time to do thing big" that would beryllium remembered "in nan annals of history." 

Philippi and nan FBI sources allegedly drove to nan power station astir 8:15 p.m. During nan drive, he again outlined nan scheme to destruct nan substation. The group wore masks to hide their identities. 

Philippi, right, and nan 2 sources earlier nan planned attack.  Department of Justice

When they arrived, Philippi allegedly began preparing nan drone, while nan FBI sources assumed information positions. As he was preparing nan drone and explosives, rule enforcement agents arrested Philippi and took him into custody. At nan clip of his arrest, nan drone was powered up, pinch what he believed was an equipped explosive instrumentality astir to beryllium attached, according to nan complaint.   

"As charged, Skyler Philippi believed he was moments distant from launching an onslaught connected a Nashville power installation to further his convulsive achromatic supremacist ideology – but nan FBI had already compromised his plot," said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland successful nan Justice Department's news release. "This lawsuit serves arsenic yet different informing to those seeking to sow unit and chaos successful nan sanction of hatred by attacking our country's captious infrastructure: nan Justice Department will find you, we will disrupt your plot, and we will clasp you accountable." 

Philippi has been charged pinch attempted usage of a limb of wide demolition and attempted demolition of an energy facility, and faces a maximum punishment of life successful situation if convicted. A national nationalist defender has been appointed to correspond him, according to nan Associated Press, and he is group to look successful tribunal connected November 13. 

The U.S. grid includes much than 6,400 powerfulness plants and 450,000 miles of high-voltage transmission lines that span nan country. Multiple attacks person targeted nan powerfulness system successful caller years. In 2022, specified attacks roseate by 71% arsenic compared to 2021, CBS News antecedently reported. Kenneth Wainstein, undersecretary of nan Office of Intelligence and Analysis astatine nan Department of Homeland Security, told CBS News successful 2023 that nan agency is "very concerned" astir powerfulness grid attacks driven by achromatic nationalist narratives. 

"We've seen attacks against nan powerfulness grid for a number of years, and immoderate of those attacks are simply group shooting into substations astir nan state for purely criminal reasons. But immoderate of these shootings are besides being done by home convulsive extremists" who are trying to technologist a societal collapse, Wainstein said. 

In:
• United States Department of Justice
• Nashville