Man pleads guilty to charges that he meant to blow up Nashville power site

NASHVILLE — A 24-year-old man with ties to white nationalist groups pleaded guilty Tuesday to charges that he attempted to use a drone to bomb a Nashville electricity substation, according to prosecutors. Skyler Philippi, of Columbia, Tennessee, pleaded guilty to attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction and attempting to destroy an energy facility, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Tennessee said in a statement. He faces up to life in prison at his Jan. 8 sentencing. "For months, Philippi planned what he had hoped would be a devastating attack on Nashville's energy infrastructure. He acquired what he believed to be explosives, surveilled his target, and equipped a drone to attack an electrical substation. Motivated by a violent ideology, Philippi wanted 'to do something big.' Instead, the FBI disrupted his plans, and Philippi now awaits sentencing," Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg said in the statement. Philippi's lawyer, R. David Baker, didn't immediately respond to an email seeking comment. Philippi told a confidential FBI source in July 2024 that he wanted to attack several electricity substations to "shock the system," an FBI agent wrote in the criminal complaint. That source later introduced Philippi to an undercover FBI employee, who began to collect information about Philippi's plan with other undercover agents. In November 2024, Philippi and undercover employees drove to his intended Nashville launch site and prepared to fly a drone that authorities say Philippi believed had 3 pounds (1.4 kilograms) of C-4 plastic explosive attached to it. The material had been provided by the undercover employees, according to prosecutors. When he was arrested, Philippi had the drone powered up and was preparing to attach the armed explosive device to it as undercover employees pretended to be acting as lookouts for him, prosecutors said. Philippi allegedly told undercover officials that he was affiliated with several white nationalist and extremist groups, including the National Alliance, which calls for eradicating Jews and other groups of people. Such extremist groups increasingly view attacking the U.S. power grid as a means of disrupting the country. Philippi pleaded not guilty in January. In a March letter to the judge from jail, Philippi claimed that the undercover FBI agents had violated his due process rights and that his public defender had provided ineffective counsel. Cracker Barrel suspends plans to remodel restaurants after logo blowup Cracker Barrel said Tuesday it's suspending remodels of its restaurants after criticism from many longtime fans. The announcement came two weeks after Cracker Barrel backtracked on a separate plan to modernize and simplify its logo. Fans of the chain had also loudly criticized that move. Lebanon, Tennessee-based Cracker Barrel said Tuesday that just four of its 660 restaurants had been remodeled as part of a test for the brand. The remodels, which began last year, added more comfortable seating, brighter lights, lighter paint and a simplified assortment of antiques but kept signature elements like fireplaces. "We heard clearly that the modern remodel design does not reflect what you love about Cracker Barrel," the company said in a statement. "Of course, we will continue to invest in our restaurants to make sure that they are in good shape and meet your expectations." Cracker Barrel announced a transformation plan in May 2024 under its new CEO, Julie Felss Masino, a former executive at Taco Bell and Starbucks. Masino said Cracker Barrel was losing its relevance and needed some changes to boost customer traffic. In addition to remodeled stores, the chain planned new dinner menu items and more efficient kitchens. At the time, Masino said Cracker Barrel planned to remodel 25 to 30 stores in its 2025 fiscal year, which ended July 31. "Historically, Cracker Barrel has made limited changes to our design aesthetic, and we've probably relied a little too much on what was perceived to be the timeless nature of our concept," Masino said during a conference call with investors. Masino said the company had received positive customer feedback after remodeling two stores. "The goal, simply put, was to freshen things in such a way as to be noticeable and attractive but still feel like Cracker Barrel," she said. But the changes didn't sit well with many customers, especially after Cracker Barrel announced it planned to simplify its logo and remove a picture of an overall-clad man leaning on a barrel. "They are supposed to be taking out the old, I call it 'antique-type' decorations on the walls," said Jerry Love as he stood outside of a Cracker Barrel in Vicksburg, Mississippi, late last month. "I'm very conservative and old so I like those and rather that they didn't."