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RALEIGH, N.C. (ChatnewsTV) — Five defendants with ties to white supremacy have been sentenced in connection with a conspiracy to destroy energy facilities in the United States. Jordan Duncan, 29, of Bailey, North Carolina, received a seven-year prison sentence for manufacturing a short-barreled rifle in violation of the National Firearms Act. His sentencing follows that of Joseph Maurino, 25, of Manalapan, New Jersey, who was sentenced on October 25.
Others sentenced earlier include Paul James Kryscuk, 38, of Boise, Idaho; Liam Collins, 25, of Johnston, Rhode Island; and Justin Wade Hermanson, 25, of Swansboro, North Carolina, all former Marines previously assigned to Camp Lejeune.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland stated, “We have now brought to justice all five of the defendants involved in a self-described ‘modern day SS,’ who conspired, prepared, and trained to attack America’s power grid in the name of violent white supremacist ideology. The Justice Department is aggressively investigating, disrupting, and prosecuting these kinds of hate-fueled plots that seek to sow violence and chaos and endanger our national security.”
The sentences highlight the severity of the defendants’ intentions. Kryscuk was sentenced to six years and six months in prison for conspiracy to destroy an energy facility, while Collins received ten years for aiding and abetting the interstate transportation of unregistered firearms. Hermanson and Maurino each received one year and nine months for conspiracy to manufacture firearms and ship them across state lines.
“This NCIS-led investigation has been crucial in dismantling a domestic terrorist cell intent on targeting innocent people and destroying critical infrastructure,” said NCIS Director Omar Lopez.
The group had been actively recruiting members and sharing extremist ideology through online platforms, including the “Iron March” forum, which was a hub for young neo-Nazis. Court documents revealed that between 2017 and 2020, the defendants researched previous attacks on the power grid, manufactured firearms, and conducted training exercises, including live-fire drills in the desert near Boise.
“This case sends a clear message to those who wrongfully believe they can plot in the shadows undetected; they will be caught and there will be consequences,” said Executive Associate Director Katrina W. Berger of Homeland Security Investigations.
The investigation involved multiple federal agencies, including the FBI and ATF, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys from various districts.
“Attacks on our critical infrastructure pose a threat to all Americans,” said U.S. Attorney Michael F. Easley Jr. for the Eastern District of North Carolina. “We will relentlessly pursue anyone who seeks to destabilize our national security and institutions through hate-fueled violence.”
