Alleged White Supremacist Pleads Guilty to Arson at Tennessee Civil Rights Center
Regan Prater, a man linked to white supremacist movements, has pleaded guilty to setting a fire that destroyed an office at the historic Highlander Research and Education Center in New Market, Tennessee. The arson occurred in March 2019, but Prater was not arrested until April 2025, following an investigation that connected him to the crime through posts in white supremacist group chats. In these communications, he allegedly described using a sparkler bomb and napalm to start the blaze. Additionally, Prater pleaded guilty to attempting to aid a foreign terrorist organization by providing Hezbollah with personally identifiable information of individuals purportedly affiliated with the Israeli government. Evidence included a white-power symbol spray-painted near the fire site, similar to one used in the 2019 Christchurch mosque shootings. Sentencing is scheduled for September 9 in Knoxville. This case highlights ongoing threats against civil rights institutions and the intersection of domestic extremism with international terrorism charges.
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Alleged White Supremacist Pleads Guilty to Arson at Tennessee Civil Rights Center
Regan Prater, a man linked to white supremacist movements, has pleaded guilty to setting a fire that destroyed an office at the historic Highlander Research and Education Center in New Market, Tennessee. The arson occurred in March 2019, but Prater was not arrested until April 2025, following an investigation that connected him to the crime through posts in white supremacist group chats. In these communications, he allegedly described using a sparkler bomb and napalm to start the blaze. Additionally, Prater pleaded guilty to attempting to aid a foreign terrorist organization by providing Hezbollah with personally identifiable information of individuals purportedly affiliated with the Israeli government. Evidence included a white-power symbol spray-painted near the fire site, similar to one used in the 2019 Christchurch mosque shootings. Sentencing is scheduled for September 9 in Knoxville. This case highlights ongoing threats against civil rights institutions and the intersection of domestic extremism with international terrorism charges.
AP News