A Tennessee man with ties to white nationalist groups has been detained after federal prosecutors claim he attempted to destroy a power station in Nashville using what he thought was a drone loaded with explosives, the Justice Department announced Monday.
Skyler Philippi, 24, was charged with attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction and to damage an energy facility, according to a news release.
According to a recently disclosed criminal complaint, Philippi allegedly told multiple FBI undercover sources that he planned to blow up multiple energy stations in order to “shock the system” and cause the nation’s power grid to collapse.
He also allegedly discussed additional attacks, such as a mass shooting at a YMCA facility and a plot to derail a train in Tennessee. Philippi allegedly told FBI sources that he was a member of several white nationalist organizations and that he believed in a 9/11 conspiracy.
Philippi apparently began planning a drone attack on an electric substation in September 2024. He cited previous power grid attacks and claimed that he intended to strike other substations, including ones in Nashville and Louisville. Later in the month, he allegedly stated that he intended to attack two substations in the Nashville region.
Philippi allegedly communicated with an FBI source about supplying bomb materials. According to the lawsuit, he stated that he sought materials that could cut through three-quarter inch metal, but settled for what the source described as “poor man’s C-4.” Philippi also allegedly planned to manufacture pipe bombs and requested the FBI source for black powder to make them explode.
Throughout October, Philippi allegedly communicated with FBI sources, discussing how they would avoid detection, outlining a strategy for the attack, and providing updates on the drone he was manufacturing himself. On October 19, he allegedly informed the human source that he needed more bombs.
On November 2, Philippi allegedly went to carry out the attack. According to authorities, the undercover sources were with him throughout, picking him up from his house, transporting him to Nashville, and providing him with inoperable explosives. They allegedly flew the drone, drove by the substation, and discussed the attack plan again.
At the hotel where they were staying, Philippi and the sources allegedly performed a Nordic ritual associated with white nationalist groups. Each participant recited a Norse prayer and discussed Odin, the Norse god.
When asked if he was certain about the attack, Philippi reportedly told the agents that he was “fully committed” and that it was “time to do something big” that would be recorded “in the annals of history.”
Philippi and FBI sources allegedly drove to the power station around 8:15 p.m. During the drive, he reiterated the plot to destroy the substation. The group used masks to conceal their identities.
When they arrived, Philippi allegedly began preparing the drone, while FBI sources took up security positions. Law enforcement agents arrested and detained Philippi while he was preparing the drone and explosives. According to the complaint, the drone was turned on when he was arrested, and he felt an armed explosive device was ready to be connected.
“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 in a Justice Department press statement.
“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.”
Philippi has been charged with attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction and attempted damage of an energy facility, with a possible sentence of life in jail if convicted. According to the Associated Press, a federal public defender has been appointed to represent him, and he will appear in court on November 13.
The United States’ grid includes over 6,400 power plants and 450,000 miles of high-voltage transmission lines that run across the country. Several attacks have targeted the electrical system in recent years.
According to CBS News, such attacks increased by 71% between 2021 and 2022. Kenneth Wainstein, the undersecretary of the Office of Intelligence and Analysis of the Department of Homeland Security, told CBS News in 2023 that the department is “very concerned” about power grid assaults motivated by white nationalist ideology.
“We’ve had attacks on the electrical grid for a number of years, and some of them are simply people shooting into substations across the country for purely criminal motives. However, some of these shootings are carried out by domestic violent extremists who are attempting to orchestrate a societal collapse, according to Wainstein.