A former National Guard member moonlighting as a recruit of the neo-Nazi "Atomwaffen Divison" militia has been sentenced to five years in prison for possessing bomb-making materials.
As the Tampa Bay Times reported, 22-year-old Brandon Russell tried to express remorse and take responsibility for "possessing an unregistered destructive device and unlawfully storing of explosive materials."
Russell was one of two Atomwaffen members who lived together in an apartment in Tampa, Florida when he was discovered with materials to build explosives. Police found Russell's stash after his roommate, Devon Arthurs, killed two other neo-Nazi friends who attacked his newfound dedication to an extreme sect of Islam.
After Russell's trial began, prosecutors said he had plans to bomb nuclear reactors and synagogues, and a day prior to his sentencing said he still clung to his violent ideology despite spending more than 6 months in jail.
Prosecutors also obtained letters the neo-Nazi intended to send to people outside of jail while he was on trial that included bomb-making diagrams, which they said showed "his intention to share his knowledge with others." Court records reviewed by the Times indicated he also showed interest in proselytizing to fellow inmates using an "Airborne Leaflet Dropping Device."
