Three men pleaded guilty this week after seeking to provide material support to domestic terrorists in an attempt to destroy energy facilities throughout the United States.
These charges were handed out to Christopher Brenner Cook, 20, of Columbus, Ohio; Jonathan Allen Frost, 24, of West Lafayette, Ind., and of Katy, Texas; and Jackson Matthew Sawall, 22, of Oshkosh, Wis. Each pled guilty to a single count of the federal charges, admitting that they knew and intended to provide material support for the attacks. Assistant Attorney General for National Security Matthew Olsen said that they were efforts to create chaos and anger for white supremacist gain.
“These three defendants admitted to engaging in a disturbing plot, in furtherance of white supremacist ideology, to attack energy facilities in order to damage the economy and stoke division in our country,” Olsen said. “The Justice Department is committed to investigating and disrupting such terrorist plots and holding perpetrators accountable for their crimes.”
Timothy Langan, assistant director of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division, noted that the plot was racially or ethnically motivated. Specifically, regional power substations were to be targeted in an effort to sow economic distress and civil unrest. Efforts began via an online chat group, where Frost and Cook discussed attacking a power grid, then began attempting to recruit others. They circulated Neo-Nazi readings and eventually enlisted Cook to help with recruitment, security, and organization.
Each member took on a different substation in a different region of the United States, intending to utilize AR-47 rifles to inflict millions of dollars in damage for the government. In discussions, they openly discussed the possibility of months-long blackouts leading to war, race wars, or the next Great Depression. The discussion gradually turned to action, with meetings and training in 2020 and even the supply of “suicide necklaces” – fentanyl-filled necklaces to be ingested if the terrorists were caught by law enforcement. Cook, in particular, focused on juveniles for recruitment.
“These defendants conspired to use violence to sow hate, create chaos, and endanger the safety of the American people,” U.S. Attorney Kenneth Parker for the Southern District of Ohio said. “As this case shows, federal and state law enforcement agencies are dedicated to working together to protect this country against all enemies, foreign and domestic.”
All three defendants face a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.