NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — The Columbia man facing federal charges for coming extremely close to blowing up part of the power grid had his sights set on Nashville.
We talked to federal prosecutors about the case against Skyler Philippi.
"Mr. Philippi was interested in taking down up to nine power grids, and he thought that would just sow complete chaos and destroy our system, and we'd have to start over," said Acting United States Attorney Thomas Jaworski.
Federal agents started watching Philippi in June. The 24-year-old — now in federal custody for domestic terrorism charges — is an "accelerationist," which is apparently a white supremacist determined to destroy society as we know it.
"If he's able to do this, not only can you take down electricity, you take down hospitals, traffic lights. You take down all power we need to survive as a country," Jaworski said.
On Saturday, Philippi was caught with a drone and explosives just outside the gates of a Nashville substation thanks to undercover agents who gained his trust.
For months, federal agents tracked him as he researched previous attacks on energy facilities, including in North Carolina. In 2022, assailants shot at a substation to knock tens of thousands of people off the grid. Unlike that situation, Philippi planned to use a drone strapped with C4 and pipe bombs.
"Just from reading the facts of the complaint, you can see he's very detailed. He's very committed," Jaworski said.
You can read the full complaint here.
In September, at a reconnaissance visit to the undisclosed Nashville substation, he told undercover FBI agents that his plan would blow up the facility like a "Fourth of July firework." It is believed Philippi targeted Nashville because it is a financial and technological hub.
Philippi who also has ties to Buffalo and Louisville had just started a job with Ryder in Spring Hill.
It doesn't appear his plot is connected to the election, but rather a desire to make a mark, no matter the cost.
"The agents offered him the opportunity to back out just before they went to the site, and to quote him, [he said] 'I'm fully committed to this. I want to do something big and go down in the annals of history,'" Jaworski said.
US Attorney General Merrick Garland says this case serves as a warning to anyone seeking to go after our critical infrastructure in the name of hate.
“As charged, Skyler Philippi believed he was moments away from launching an attack on a Nashville energy facility to further his violent white supremacist ideology — but the FBI had already compromised his plot,” said Attorney General Merrick Garland. “This case serves as yet another warning to those seeking to sow violence and chaos in the name of hatred by attacking our country’s critical infrastructure: the Justice Department will find you, we will disrupt your plot, and we will hold you accountable. I am grateful to the public servants of the FBI for their extraordinary work on this case and for the work they do every day to keep our country safe.”
A detention hearing for Philippi is scheduled for Nov.13.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at hannah.mcdonald@newschannel5.com.
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