18-year-old N.J. man accused in plot to sabotage PSE&G substations

NEWARK, N.J. -- An 18-year-old New Jersey man is accused in a plot to sabotage PSE&G substations.

Authorities said Andrew Takhistov, of East Brunswick, began communicating with an undercover law enforcement employee on a social messaging platform in January.

Takhistov allegedly had previously requested advice about weapons and disseminated manuals on how to construct homemade weapons on the messaging platform. Investigators said the suspect also encouraged violence against various ethnic and religious communities.

According to investigators, Takhistov communicated with the undercover employee over the course of several months, discussing infrastructure sabotage.

Authorities said Takhistov took the undercover employee to two electrical substations in North Brunswick and New Brunswick on two separate occasions in June and July, discussed how to conduct an attack on an electrical substation and asked the undercover employee to take photos of the substations so Takhistov could send them to a Russian friend for additional advice on how to sabotage the stations.

Federal prosecutors said Takhistov was arrested Wednesday at Newark Liberty International Airport as he was allegedly on his way to Ukraine to join the Russian Volunteer Corps.

"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," FBI – Newark Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy said in a statement.  

Takhistov has been charged with soliciting another individual to engage in criminal conduct. He appeared in court Friday and was detained. If found guilty, he faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $125,000 fine.