The FBI arrested a Tennessee man for allegedly attempting to fly an explosive drone into an energy facility in Nashville. According to the Department of Justice (DOJ), the suspect was arrested just before his device was launched toward the substation.
The DOJ announced in a Monday press release that 24-year-old Skyler Philippi of Columbia, Tenn., was arrested and charged with the attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction and attempted destruction of an energy facility.
This comes after federal law enforcement thwarted a previous plot to destroy substations in Maryland in February 2023.
The DOJ said that the FBI Nashville Field Office, which is investigating the case, was informed by a confidential human source in June 2024 that Philippi was planning to commit a mass shooting at a YMCA in Columbia, Tennessee. Philippi then allegedly told another confidential source about a month later that he would instead attack large interstate power substations to "shock the system" and cause other substations to go down.
The defendant studied previous attacks on electric substations, according to the DOJ, and discovered that shooting at the critical infrastructure was insufficient. Federal authorities said that led him to go forward with his plan to attach explosives to a drone and ram it into a substation to detonate it.
Undercover FBI employees who were assisting him with research and reconnaissance for his planned attack on the substations later met with Philippi at one of those facilities in September.
The DOJ said that Philippi purchased black powder for pipe bombs and obtained inert C-4 explosives from the federal agents, which he planned to attach to the drone.
"If you want to do the most damage as an accelerationist, attack high economic, high tax, political zones in every major metropolis," Philippi told the confidential informant.
Philippi added, "Holy sh**. This will go up like a fu**in fourth of July firework," in reference to the substation.
Philippi told the undercover agents about the need for operational security on the night of the attack, with the purchase of disguises, leather gloves to avoid leaving fingerprints, and oversized shoes. He further emphasized the importance of burning their clothes after the attack and not bringing their smartphones to the scene.
The DOJ alleges that Philippi is a white supremacist and that he participated in a neo-pagan ritual by reciting a Nordic prayer on Nov. 2, right before his planned attacks.
"This is where the New Age begins," Philippi reportedly told the undercover feds, adding that it was the time to do something big that would be remembered "in the annals of history." Philippi and the undercover FBI agents drove to the site and moved to their assigned lookout positions. The defendant was at the back of the vehicle powering up his drone, with the explosives already armed, when he was arrested, the DOJ said.
"Driven by a racially motivated violent extremist ideology, the Defendant planned to attack the power grid with a drone and explosives, leaving thousands of Americans and critical infrastructure like hospitals without power," FBI Director Christopher Wray stated. "The FBI’s swift work led to the detection and disruption of the defendant’s plot before he could cause any damage. 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."
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Kurtzman of the Middle District of Tennessee and trial attorneys Justin Sher and James Donnelly of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case, according to the DOJ.
"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 B. 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," Garland added.
Philippi faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine his sentence if he is convicted after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The DOJ complaint against Philippi is posted on their website. (pdf)
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