An 18-year-old New Jersey man, Andrew Takhistov, was arrested at Newark Liberty Airport on Wednesday for allegedly plotting to destroy an electrical substation to further his white supremacist ideology.
“Andrew Takhistov was allegedly on his way to Ukraine to join the Russian Volunteer Corps when we arrested him on charges of recruiting an individual to destroy an electrical substation here in the United States in order to advance his white supremacist ideology,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “I am grateful to the FBI and the Joint Terrorism Task Force for their exceptional work disrupting this dangerous plot.”
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“This complaint alleges that the defendant’s posts referenced Adolf Hitler, encouraged violence against Black and Jewish communities, praised mass shooters, and discussed causing death and destruction on a large scale,” said U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger for the District of New Jersey.
According to the Department of Justice (DOJ), Takhistov had been communicating with an undercover FBI agent, soliciting the agent’s help to carry out the attack. Takhistov allegedly believed this act of domestic terrorism would advance his white supremacist cause.
The criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in New Jersey revealed that Takhistov used online messaging platforms to communicate on racially and ethnically motivated extremist channels. He allegedly expressed his desire to target critical infrastructure, specifically focusing on the electrical grid.
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The undercover agent, posing as a like-minded individual, gained Takhistov’s trust and obtained detailed plans for the attack. This allowed law enforcement to intervene and apprehend Takhistov before he could carry out his plot.
Takhistov is charged with soliciting another individual to destroy a public utility facility. If convicted, he could face up to 10 years in prison and a $125,000 fine.
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