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Andrew Takhistov, 18, of East Brunswick, was arrested Wednesday, July 10 at Newark Liberty International Airport where he was planning to travel to Paris on his way to Ukraine, according to the U.S. Justice Department.
Takhistov is charged with one count of soliciting another individual to engage in criminal conduct that involved destroying a public service enterprise group circuit breaker and substation, federal officials said. He appeared in court on Thursday, July 11.
On two occasions in June and July, Takhistov and the undercover employee drove to two different electrical substations in North Brunswick and New Brunswick, federal officials said. During these visits, Takhistov allegedly instructed the undercover employee "on numerous aspects of how to conduct an attack on an electrical substation," they said.
On July 5, Takhistov allegedly directed the undercover employee to take several photographs of the electrical substations so that Takhistov could send them to his Russian friend for additional advice on how to best sabotage the stations, they said.
Takhistov discussed infrastructure sabotage, specifically how to damage an electrical substation using Mylar balloons or Molotov cocktails, which Takhistov explained how to make, they said.
“Andrew Takhistov was allegedly on his way to Ukraine to join the Russian Volunteer Corps when we arrested him on charges of recruiting an individual to destroy an electrical substation here in the United States in order to advance his white supremacist ideology,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland in a press statement. “I am grateful to the FBI and the Joint Terrorism Task Force for their exceptional work disrupting this dangerous plot.”
U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said, “This complaint alleges that the defendant’s posts referenced Adolf Hitler, encouraged violence against Black and Jewish communities, praised mass shooters, and discussed causing death and destruction on a large scale."
According to court documents, in January, Takhistov began communicating on a social messaging platform with an individual who, unbeknownst to Takhistov, was an undercover law enforcement employee, federal officials said.
Takhistov had previously posted on the messaging platform requesting advice about weapons, disseminating manuals on how to construct homemade weapons, and expressing interest in traveling overseas to engage in paramilitary-style training. Throughout these posts, Takhistov referenced Adolf Hitler, encouraged violence against various ethnic and religious communities, and praised mass shooters, federal officials said.
In May, Takhistov allegedly told the undercover employee that he was planning to travel to Ukraine this month to join the Russian Volunteer Corps, explaining that he chose this organization because it was openly National Socialist and, "more importantly, specialized in assassinations, attacks on power grids and other infrastructure sabotage," federal officials said.
If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $125,000 fine. The FBI is investigating the case.
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