Andrew Takhistov
Andrew Takhistov is an East Brunswick, New Jersey Terrorgram Collective member arrested July 10, 2024, charged with soliciting destruction of two PSE&G electrical substations in New Jersey after conducting reconnaissance with an undercover FBI employee and receiving tactical advice from a Russian contact.
Andrew Takhistov (born approximately 2005-2006, East Brunswick, New Jersey) was charged in the District of New Jersey in July 2024 with one count of soliciting another individual to engage in criminal conduct involving the destruction of Public Service Enterprise Group (PSE&G) electrical substations. He was 18 years old at arrest and had been communicating with undercover FBI employees for several months about infrastructure sabotage and had stated an intent to travel to Ukraine to join the Russian Volunteer Corps.1
Operational Planning and Evidence
In May 2024, Takhistov informed an undercover FBI employee that he was planning to travel to Ukraine to join the Russian Volunteer Corps, which he described as openly National Socialist and specialized in assassinations, attacks on power grids, and infrastructure sabotage. The combination of white nationalist ideology and interest in a pro-Russian paramilitary formation reflected a documented crossover between the far-right accelerationist Telegram ecosystem and Russian irregular networks.
On two occasions in June and July 2024, Takhistov and the undercover employee drove to two different electrical substations in North Brunswick and New Brunswick, New Jersey, where Takhistov provided instruction on how to conduct attacks on electrical substations. On July 5, 2024, he directed the undercover employee to photograph the substations so that he could transmit the images to what he described as a "Russian friend" for additional tactical advice on the most effective sabotage methods.
Takhistov had a documented history of posting in Terrorgram Collective channels, including references to Adolf Hitler, calls for violence against Black and Jewish individuals, and praise for mass shooters. He also stated he had been involved in the production of Terrorgram propaganda. Prosecutors noted he was a "fan" of at least one of the Terrorgram Collective's terrorism how-to guides.
Charges and Legal Status
Takhistov was arrested on July 10, 2024, and made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Leda Dunn Wettre in Newark federal court, where he was detained. He was charged with one count of soliciting destruction of an energy facility under 18 U.S.C. § 1366(b), which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $125,000 fine.
The charge was filed as a complaint by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey. Plea status was unresolved as of May 2026.2
Sources
- U.S. Department of Justice, USAO-NJ. "Middlesex County Man Charged with Soliciting Destruction of Energy Facilities." July 2024. https://www.justice.gov/usao-nj/pr/middlesex-county-man-charged-soliciting-destruction-energy-facilities; East Brunswick Patch. "East Brunswick Man Plotted To Blow Up PSE&G Facilities: Feds." July 2024. https://patch.com/new-jersey/eastbrunswick/east-brunswick-man-plotted-blow-pse-g-facilities-feds ↩
- CBS New York. "18-year-old N.J. man accused in plot to sabotage PSE&G substations." July 2024. https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/plot-to-destroy-pse-g-power-plant-new-jersey/; DOJ OPA. "New Jersey Man Charged with Soliciting Destruction of Energy Facilities." https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/new-jersey-man-charged-soliciting-destruction-energy-facilities ↩
Local network
Andrew Takhistov's direct connections. Click any node to navigate, drag to pan, scroll (or pinch) to zoom. + 2‑hop expands the neighborhood one level further.