A Missouri man who crashed a rental truck into obstacles defending the White Home was sentenced Thursday to eight years in jail for an assault that prosecutors mentioned was impressed by his fascination with Nazi ideology, courtroom information present.
Sai Varshith Kandula, then 19, practically struck two individuals standing subsequent to a park bench when he steered a U-Haul field truck onto a sidewalk and towards metallic bollards that stop automobiles from getting into Lafayette Sq., which is positioned north of the White Home. He retrieved a Nazi flag from a backpack after the Could 22, 2023, crash, which did not injure anyone.
Kandula wished to “assault and destroy” the U.S. authorities, prosecutors mentioned.
“He wished to eradicate the democratic course of in America and change the federal government with a Nazi fashion dictatorship,” they wrote.
U.S. District Choose Dabney Friedrich additionally sentenced Kandula to 3 years of supervised launch after his jail time period and ordered him to pay practically $57,000 in restitution, in line with courtroom information.
Protection lawyer Scott Rosenblum mentioned Kandula was affected by schizophrenia and was overwhelmed by delusional ideas, together with his perception that “a reptilian race had put in a puppet regime to function the U.S.”
“He’s amenable to remedy, understands its necessity, and acknowledges an sickness produced the acts that led to his present circumstances,” Rosenblum wrote.
Prosecutors beneficial an eight-year jail sentence for Kandula, who pleaded responsible in Could to a property injury cost. He has remained in custody since his arrest.
Kandula deliberate the assault for weeks earlier than he took a flight from St. Louis to Washington, D.C. solely hours earlier than the crash, prosecutors mentioned. He rented the truck in Herndon, Virginia roughly three hours earlier than he crashed it into the obstacles.
After Kandula backed up and slammed into the bollards a second time, the truck started smoking from its engine compartment and leaking fluids.
Authorities didn’t discover any weapons, ammunition or explosives in his possession. However prosecutors mentioned the tried assassination of President-elect Donald Trump at a July 13 rally in Pennsylvania reveals that “people who carry such harmful intent are able to inflicting critical injury to the American political system.”
Police physique digital camera video captured the aftermath of the crash. After his arrest, Kandula informed investigators that he bought the swastika flag as a result of “Nazis have an awesome historical past.”
“He particularly praised Adolf Hitler. And it wasn’t simply phrases — when his truck was disabled within the assault, the very first thing he did was unfurl the flag of Nazi Germany,” prosecutors wrote.
After Kandula’s arrest, two psychologists identified him with schizophrenia, in line with Rosenblum.
“Each additionally imagine his sickness led on to his offense,” the lawyer wrote.
Rosenblum mentioned Kandula’s conviction will probably lead to his deportation to India.
