A 24-year-old man with ties to white supremacist movements was arrested after allegedly plotting to use an explosive drone to attack a Nashville power plant, the Justice Department said.
Skyler Philippi, of Columbia, Tenn., allegedly sought to “shock the system” by attacking the power grid. He conducted extensive research into such an attack and acquired supplies, according to federal prosecutors.
The FBI started investigating Philippi over the summer after he told an informant he was plotting a mass shooting at a YMCA near Columbia, Tenn.
He later told undercover agents he was scouting places in Nashville and Louisville to attack “and even coming up with a game plan to hit it as fast as [he] could.”
He ordered what he thought were C4 explosives from the undercover agents and went on a recon trip to the Nashville power station. He reportedly believed such an attack would cause unrest and accelerate a civil war.
On Saturday, Philippi and the undercover agents met up to test the drone and carry out the attack. Two agents gave him inert pipe bombs that would not detonate, though he believed they were armed with C4. He then allegedly performed a “Nordic ritual” to bring on “the New Age.”
Philippi was arrested at the station after powering on the drone and attempting to fly it.
He was charged with attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction and attempted destruction of an energy facility. He faces up to life in prison if convicted.
“The FBI’s swift work led to the detection and disruption of the defendant’s plot before he could cause any damage,” FBI Director Christopher Wray said. “We are committed to holding accountable anyone who threatens the security of our critical infrastructure or seeks to harm American communities through domestic violent extremism.”
