Three men pleaded guilty to federal terrorism charges after admitting plans to attack the power grid in an effort to spark race conflict that would advance white supremacy.

According to documents unsealed Wednesday, Christopher Brenner Cook, 20, of Columbus, Ohio; Jonathan Allen Frost, 24, of West Lafayette, Indiana, and of Katy, Texas; and Jackson Matthew Sawall, 22, of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, each pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Ohio to one count of conspiring to provide material support to terrorists.

According to the Department of Justice (DOJ), Cook and Frost met in 2019 through an online chat group, where Frost shared his plan to attack a power grid as a way to achieve white supremacist goals.

Cook recruited Sawall to the conspiracy, providing him with readings that promoted white supremacy and neo-Nazism.

Assistant Attorney General for National Security Matthew G. Olsen said in a statement:

“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. The Justice Department is committed to investigating and disrupting such terrorist plots and holding perpetrators accountable for their crimes.”

U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker for the Southern District of Ohio also said:

“These defendants conspired to use violence to sow hate, create chaos, and endanger the safety of the American people, 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.”

“The defendants in this case wanted to attack regional power substations and expected the damage would lead to economic distress and civil unrest. These individuals wanted to carry out such a plot because of their adherence to racially or ethnically motivated violent extremist views. When individuals move from espousing particular views to planning or committing acts of violence the FBI will investigate and take action to stop their plans. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to protect our communities.”

Special Agent in Charge J. William Rivers of the FBI’s Cincinnati Field Office added:

“Those inspired to commit terrorist acts in the name of hate pose a serious threat to our nation. I am thankful for the Joint Terrorism Task Force and our law enforcement partners who work each day to prevent this type of violence from occurring in our communities.”

The men discussed using explosive devices to distract law enforcement as officers respond to any siege.

Frost sought to provide rifles for the men, including by building them himself with parts he purchased online, according to court records. He also bought a rifle in Texas with no serial number, known as a “ghost gun,” and brought it to Ohio in February 2020 for Cook.

At the time, the three met to plan their assault. Sawall and Cook bought spray paint which they used to paint a swastika flag at an unspecified park with the caption “Join the Front” — a pseudonym for their online chat group.

In August 2020, FBI agents raided their homes and found weapons and Nazi and white supremacist material.

More details of this report from Breaking911:

Frost also provided Cook and Sawall with suicide necklaces during the Columbus meeting. The necklaces were filled with fentanyl and were to be ingested if and when the defendants were caught by law enforcement. Both Cook and Sawall expressed their commitment to dying in furtherance of their mission.

Upon arriving in Columbus, Sawall and Cook purchased spray paint and painted a swastika flag under a bridge at a park with the caption, “Join the Front.” The defendants had additional propaganda plans for their time in Ohio, but they were derailed during a traffic stop, during which Sawall swallowed his suicide pill but ultimately survived.

Court documents detail that Cook and Frost continued to travel together after their Ohio meeting, and drove to Texas in March 2020. Cook stayed in different cities with various juveniles who he was attempting to recruit for their plot.

Cook, Frost and Sawall were each charged with providing material support to terrorism by a bill of information filed on Feb. 7. The defendants face a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica W. Knight for the Southern District of Ohio and Trial Attorney Justin Sher of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting this case.

The case was investigated by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force in Columbus, Milwaukee, Indianapolis and Houston. The U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the Eastern District of Wisconsin and Northern District of Indiana provided valuable support.

All three await sentencing. Attorney information for the three was not available on a public court database as of Wednesday evening.

Source: Breaking911