‘Satanist’ soldier pleads guilty to distributing information for making IEDs

On Monday, February 10th, 24-year-old Jarrett Williams Smith, a specialist first class that had been stationed out of Fort Riley, Kansas accepted a plea deal and pleaded guilty to two charges of distributing information related to explosives, destructive devices and weapons of mass destruction.

Smith was indicted September 23, 2019 after he had given information about manufacturing improvised incendiary devices to an undercover FBI agent over social media.

According to the Justice Department press release, "Smith told an undercover investigator he was looking for “radicals” like himself. Smith talked about killing members of Antifa and destroying nearby cell towers or a local news station."

The Wichita Eagle stated that on one occasion, Smith provided information that an FBI bomb technician determined would not create a viable explosive, but in another conversation, provided information that would create a viable explosive.  Smith was arrested the day after his conversation with the FBI agent.

In his initial hearing last September, Smith entered a not guilty plea to the two charges of distributing information related to explosives, destructive devices and weapons of mass destruction and an additional charge of making a threatening interstate communication.

During that hearing, Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Mattivi told the court that Smith had spread the information with the ultimate goal of creating "chaos" which was "for the glory of his Satanist religion" according to an affidavit that had been written by the FBI agent.

“Mr. Smith has thought through a very specific plan for overthrowing the government,” Mattivi said.

When asked for more information about Smith's plans to overthrow the government, or his Satanic ties, Mattivi replied, “Come to the trial.”  The only other information contained in the affidavit indicated that Smith had an affinity for "black metal" music.

At the time, Smith's defense attorney, Rich Federico, additionally declined to comment on either his client's alleged plans to overthrow the government or whether or not his client was a Satanist.

As a part of the hearing, Federico attested that his client provided no information that could not be obtained with "Google and 10 minutes."

Smith is scheduled to be sentenced on May 18th.  The two charges he pleaded guilty to carry a maximum sentence of 20 years and fine of $250,000 each.  However, according to the Wichita Eagle, the plea deal allegedly states that both the defense and prosecution will recommend a sentence of three years supervised release with no fine.