WASHINGTON, DC — On Thursday, three men were sentenced for their involvement in a racially-motivated conspiracy to attack an energy facility in the United States. The sentences come after the defendants were found guilty of various conspiracy and firearms offenses.
Paul James Kryscuk, 38, from Boise, Idaho, received a six-year and six-month prison term for conspiracy to destroy an energy facility. Liam Collins, 25, from Johnston, Rhode Island, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for aiding and abetting the interstate transportation of unregistered firearms. Justin Wade Hermanson, 25, from Swansboro, North Carolina, was given a one-year and nine-month sentence for conspiracy to manufacture firearms and ship interstate.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland highlighted the group’s intentions to undermine U.S. infrastructure and promote white supremacist ideologies. “As part a self-described ‘modern day SS,’ these defendants conspired, prepared, and trained to attack America’s power grid in order to advance their violent white supremacist ideology,” Garland stated, underscoring the Justice Department’s dedication to thwarting such extremist activities.
Court documents revealed that between 2017 and 2020, the defendants engaged in detailed planning, which included the manufacture of firearms, theft of military gear, and extensive research on previous attacks on the power grid. A handwritten list found in Kryscuk’s possession detailed potential target sites across Idaho and nearby states, emphasizing components critical to the Northwest U.S. power grid.
The group’s activities also extended to producing propaganda material. Video footage from their training sessions showed participants in military-style drills, concluding with Nazi salutes, which underscores the extremist nature of their motives.
