NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A Columbia man is accused of trying to use a drone to destroy a power plant in Nashville.

Federal agents announced the arrest Monday, when Skyler Philippi was in the back of a vehicle and allegedly fueled a drone with an explosive device next to the drone. Philippi is accused of attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction and attempting to destroy an energy facility. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

“Driven by a racially motivated extremist ideology, the defendant allegedly planned to attack the power grid with a drone and explosives, leaving thousands of Americans and critical infrastructure like hospitals without power,” said the director of the FBI, Christopher Wray. “The FBI’s quick work helped detect and foil the defendant’s plot before it could cause any harm. We are committed to holding accountable anyone who threatens or plans to harm critical infrastructure or seeks to harm American communities through domestic violent extremism.

To plan the attack, authorities said, he and undercover FBI employees began going to an electrical substation in September to do research. Authorities said Philippi purchased black powder for pipe bombs and C-4 explosive compositions.

“If you want to do the most damage as an accelerationist, attack the high-economy, high-tax political areas in every major metropolis,” Philippe told the Confidential Informant.

Referring to the substation, Philippi later said: “Holy shit**. This will work like fucking 4th of July fireworks.

Beginning in June 2024, federal authorities said Philippi told a confidential human source of his desire to commit a mass shooting at or near a YMCA facility in Columbia. In July 2024, Philippi spoke to another confidential informant about the impact of attacking large interstate substations and said that attacking multiple substations would “shock the system”, causing other substations to malfunction. stations.

“According to the indictment, Skyler Philippi believed he was about to launch an attack on a Nashville energy facility to promote his violent white supremacist ideology, but the FBI had already compromised his plot,” the prosecutor said. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “This case serves as another warning to those who seek to sow violence and chaos in the name of hatred by attacking our nation’s critical infrastructure: the Department of Justice will find you, we will foil your plot, and we will hold you accountable . I am grateful to FBI officials for their extraordinary work on this case and for the work they do every day to keep our country safe.

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Road trip to see some of our neighbors’ best Halloween decorations

This year, Americans are expected to spend approximately $12 billion on candy, costumes and decorations. In recent years, it seems that more and more people are devoting themselves to decorating their homes. Forrest Sanders had the chance to visit several Midstate communities to check out some of these Halloween decorations.

-Lelan Statom