A Missouri man has pleaded guilty to an attempted attack on the White House using a rented U-Haul, as announced by the Justice Department. The 20-year-old man, who was born in Chandanagar, India, and was a lawful permanent resident of the US at the time, pleaded guilty to one count of willful injury or depredation of property of the United States.
The incident occurred on May 22, 2023, when the man flew to Washington, DC, from St. Louis, rented a U-Haul after arriving at Dulles International Airport, and drove to the White House. He crashed into barriers protecting the property at an intersection before waving a banner with a Nazi swastika on it. The man was arrested by US Park Police and Secret Service following the incident.
The crash resulted in damage to the National Park Service and U-Haul International, totaling over $50,000. Fortunately, no agency or White House personnel were injured during the attack. Prosecutors revealed that the man's motive was to gain access to the White House to 'seize political power' and establish a dictatorship inspired by Nazi Germany.
He had been planning the attack for weeks and even admitted to investigators that he would have arranged for President Joe Biden to be killed to achieve his objective. Prior to the incident, the man had attempted to secure armed guards and an armored convoy from a Virginia security company, which ultimately failed along with his efforts to rent other large trucks.
The man is set to be sentenced on August 23 and faces a maximum prison sentence of 10 years for his actions. The Justice Department emphasized the seriousness of the offense and the potential threat posed by individuals with extremist ideologies attempting violent acts against government institutions.
