A 24‑year‑old Tennessee man pleaded guilty Tuesday to attempting to bomb a Nashville electrical substation in a plot federal prosecutors say was inspired by white supremacist and neo‑Nazi ideology.
Skyler Philippi of Columbia, Tennessee, was arrested on Nov. 4, 2024, after undercover agents provided him with inert explosives and documentation during an operation that federal authorities said disrupted the planned attack. Prosecutors said he admitted to planning to attach explosives to a drone and fly it into an electrical substation, which he believed would cut power to thousands of homes and critical facilities, including hospitals.
According to court filings and statements from the Department of Justice, Philippi admitted he spent months planning the attack, surveilling substations, researching previous assaults on energy infrastructure and assembling maps and a game plan. He told undercover agents he had concluded that shooting at a substation would be insufficient and that a drone carrying explosives would be more likely to cause widespread disruption. He discussed acquiring C‑4 and building pipe bombs and told at least one informant in mid‑2024 that he had written a manifesto describing plans to target “high tax” cities and industrial areas while using derogatory language about Jewish people, prosecutors said.
Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg said in a statement that Philippi was "motivated by a violent ideology" and that he wanted "to do something big." Assistant Director Donald Holstead of the FBI's Counterterrorism Division warned that the planned attack could have cut power to thousands of Americans and to critical facilities like hospitals.
Prosecutors say Philippi described tactics intended to evade detection: dressing as clergy, wearing gloves and oversized shoes to avoid leaving fingerprints, leaving cellphones behind, renting a common vehicle to blend into nearby neighborhoods and burning clothes after the operation. On the day the attack was planned, Nov. 2, 2024, officials said Philippi and undercover agents took part in what they described as a "Nordic ritual," reciting a prayer and discussing the Norse god Odin before returning to a hotel where Philippi said, "This is where the New Age begins," and that it was "time to do something big" that would be remembered.
Prosecutors allege Philippi had ties to extremist groups, saying he was previously affiliated with the Atomwaffen Division and the National Alliance, organizations that have been linked to violence and plots targeting racial and religious minorities, LGBTQ+ people, government officials, journalists and infrastructure. In conversations with informants and undercover agents, Philippi reportedly said he had scouted multiple substations and once proposed attacking nine power plants across the country to accelerate a collapse of the electrical grid.
Court documents recount that Philippi sought parts to build a drone, estimating the cost at about $150 and saying he could 3D‑print a drone body. During a reconnaissance drive with undercover agents, he pointed out components of a substation he believed were flammable and said attacking them would "guarantee to take everything down" and "destroy evidence." Prosecutors quoted him saying the resulting blast would go up "like a f***in' Fourth of July firework." The crew later discussed making pipe bombs, and Philippi said he had purchased black powder to use in the devices.
When agents arrested Philippi in November, they said the drone was powered up and the explosive device attached to it was armed. An undercover agent had provided inert C‑4 and instructions on how the explosive would be used, according to prosecutors.
Philippi pleaded guilty to attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction against property used in interstate commerce and attempting to damage and destroy a protected computer and energy facility, the DOJ said. He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000. His sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 8, 2025.
In announcing the plea, the Justice Department emphasized the agency's role in disrupting threats to critical infrastructure. "The National Security Division and the FBI will continue to protect our Nation's critical infrastructure from would‑be saboteurs," Eisenberg said.
The case underscores federal concerns about the vulnerability of energy infrastructure and the role of domestic extremist networks in inspiring attacks. In recent years, investigators have noted a pattern of plots and assaults on electrical substations and other components of the power grid, prompting increased attention from law enforcement and utility operators to improve security and resilience.
Philippi remains in custody pending sentencing. The Justice Department and the FBI did not immediately respond to requests for additional comment beyond the statements released with the plea announcement.