New Jersey Man Charged with Soliciting Destruction of Energy Facilities

Note: View the criminal complaint here.

Andrew Takhistov, 18, of East Brunswick, New Jersey, was arrested yesterday and made his initial appearance in court today for allegedly soliciting another individual to destroy energy facilities.

“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. “I am grateful to the FBI and the Joint Terrorism Task Force for their exceptional work disrupting this dangerous plot.”

“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,” said U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger for the District of New Jersey. “The defendant was allegedly enroute to join the Russian Volunteer Corps, which he described as specializing in assassinations, attacks on power grids, and other infrastructure sabotage, so that he could act on his violent plans. We will not tolerate these kinds of alleged terroristic threats, and working with our partners, we will always be ready to root out and bring to justice anyone who attempts to carry out these acts.”

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. Takhistov had previously posted on the messaging platform (often posting in racially/ethnically motivated extremist [RMVE]-aligned channels), 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 (including Black and Jewish individuals), and praised mass shooters. 

Throughout Takhistov’s communications with the undercover employee, Takhistov repeatedly referred to his RMVE ideology and his desire to advance that ideology through violent means. In May, Takhistov informed the undercover employee that he was planning to travel to Ukraine in July 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.

Takhistov discussed infrastructure sabotage, specifically how to damage an electrical substation using Mylar balloons or Molotov cocktails, which Takhistov explained how to make. Takhistov told the undercover employee that, while Takhistov was in the Ukraine, the undercover employee needed to carry out at least one event of serious activism.

On two occasions in June and July, at Takhistov’s direction, Takhistov and the undercover employee drove to two different electrical substations in North Brunswick and New Brunswick, New Jersey. During these visits, Takhistov instructed the undercover employee on numerous aspects of how to conduct an attack on an electrical substation.

On July 5, during one of these meetings, Takhistov 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.

Takhistov was arrested Wednesday afternoon at Newark Liberty International Airport where he was planning to travel to Paris on his way to Ukraine.

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. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $125,000 fine.

The FBI is investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Vera Varshavsky for the District of New Jersey and Trial Attorney James Donnelly of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.