Three men, two of whom were former Marines, have been convicted of a plot to blow up the power grid in the northwestern United States. The scheme, which was linked to white supremacist ideology, involved defendants Paul James Kryscuk, Liam Collins, and Justin Wade Hermanson. Federal prosecutors revealed that Collins and Hermanson were part of the same US Marine unit at Camp LeJeune, North Carolina, where they devised the conspiracy.
Collins, an active member of an online neo-Nazi forum, used the platform to recruit members for a paramilitary group he envisioned as a “modern-day SS.” He joined the Marines with the intention of funding this group with his earnings. In 2017, he connected with Kryscuk, a New York resident, through the forum, and the two discussed forming a guerrilla organization to reclaim what they believed was rightfully theirs through domestic terrorism.
The group, including Hermanson, delved into the illicit arms trade, manufacturing and selling guns illegally while stealing other military equipment between 2017 and 2020. They also participated in live-fire weapons training in Boise, Idaho, where they performed “Heil Hitler” salutes and wore skull masks associated with the Atomwaffen Division, a group of aspiring Nazis.
Authorities discovered a handwritten note by Kryscuk detailing various critical power infrastructure locations in Idaho and other states. The group’s plans also involved discussions of shooting protesters, as indicated in the indictment. The men were arrested in late 2020 and early 2021, eventually pleading guilty to their crimes.
Collins received a ten-year prison sentence for aiding and abetting the interstate transportation of unregistered firearms, while Kryscuk was sentenced to six-and-a-half years for conspiring to destroy an energy facility. Hermanson was given just under two years for his involvement in the conspiracy to manufacture and ship firearms across state lines. Additionally, two other individuals, Joseph Maurino and Jordan Duncan, have pleaded guilty to crimes related to the plot.
The sentencing of these individuals serves as a reminder of the dangers posed by violent extremist ideologies and the importance of vigilance in preventing such threats to public safety. It highlights the need for continued efforts to combat white supremacist groups and their destructive agendas in order to protect the security and well-being of all individuals in society.
