A Missouri man pleaded guilty on Monday to crashing a rented truck into metal barriers surrounding the White House in May 2023, admitting that he had been “fueled by the ideology of Nazi Germany” and hoped to overthrow the US government.
Sai Varshith Kandula, 20, from Chesterfield, Missouri, and also a citizen of India, pleaded guilty to a single count of damaging federal property. He faces up to 10 years in prison when he is sentenced in August.
Kandula was originally charged with threatening to kill or harm the US president, assault with a dangerous weapon, and reckless operation of a vehicle, according to a statement from the US park police, whose jurisdiction includes the area where the metal barriers are located.
As part of an agreement with US Department of Justice prosecutors, Kandula admitted to investigators that it was his intent to “replace the democratically elected government with a dictatorship fueled by ideology of Nazi Germany and for himself to be put in charge of the United States”.
Kandula, who was carrying a Nazi flag at the time of his arrest, also admitted to investigators that he would have “arranged for the killing of the US president and others if necessary to achieve his objective”.
Kandula was diagnosed with schizophrenia following his arrest, according to court documents. He faces deportation following his release from prison.
A witness to the crash, Chris Zaboji, posted a video to social media showing the truck driving into the barriers. After the initial crash, Zaboji said the truck hit the barricades a second time.
Nobody from the White House or Secret Service was injured in the crash, according to Anthony Guglielmi, the chief of communications for the agency.
Reuters contributed to this report
