NEWARK, N.J. – A Middlesex County, New Jersey, man was arrested for allegedly soliciting another individual to destroy energy facilities, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger of the District of New Jersey announced today.
Andrew Takhistov, 18, of East Brunswick, New Jersey, is charged by complaint with one count of soliciting another individual to engage in criminal conduct that involved destroying a Public Service Enterprise Group (PSE&G) circuit breaker and substation. Takhistov was arrested on July 10, 2024, appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Leda Dunn Wettre in Newark federal court, and was detained.
“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,” Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said. “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. The defendant was allegedly en route 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,” U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said.
“Imagine the chaos and number of life-threatening emergencies if a large population of people in New Jersey lost power in the middle of the current heat wave,” FBI – Newark Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy said. “We allege Takhistov, who is only 18 years old, planned to travel overseas so he could learn lessons from Russians fighting in Ukraine on how to destroy power grids and other critical infrastructure. His alleged conversations and planned actions are chilling and were inspired by racially motivated violent extremism. Disrupting all of our lives was the goal. I want to commend the agents and detectives of the Newark Joint Terrorism Task Force, other local and state law enforcement partners, and prosecutors who moved with exceptional speed in this investigation. Their work is saving lives.”
“This defendant exemplifies the threat posed by racially and ethnically motivated violent extremism,” NYPD Commissioner Edward A. Caban said. “Whether in his efforts to instruct our undercover officer on how to sabotage critical infrastructure, or in his attempted travel overseas to join a National Socialist paramilitary force, he sought to advance his ideological goals through destruction and violence. The NYPD and our law enforcement partners will remain relentless in our mission to identify, investigate, and inhibit anyone who has designs on plotting acts of terror.”
Takhistov is currently detained. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Ransom of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey. The investigation was conducted by the FBI, the Joint Terrorism Task Force, and other local and state law enforcement partners. The public is reminded that charges are merely accusations and that the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court, in January 2024, 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.
The public is reminded that the information contained in this article is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as the sole basis for any evaluation or conclusion. Additional information about the case can be found on the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey website.
Contact Information: For more information, please contact U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey Public Information Officer at (973) 645-2777 or [email address].
Key Facts
- State: New Jersey
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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