Nazi-stimulated White House assaulter receives eight years in prison

(MENAFN) Sai Varshith Kandula, an Indian national inspired by Nazi ideology, was sentenced to eight years in prison for ramming a rental truck into security barriers around the White House in 2023. Kandula, 19 at the time, claimed his intention was to "attack and destroy" the US government. After crashing the truck, he removed a Nazi swastika flag from his backpack before being arrested. No one was injured during the incident.

Kandula, a legal permanent resident of the US from Missouri, pleaded guilty to damaging US property. Prosecutors stated that he sought to eliminate the democratic process and replace the US government with a Nazi-style dictatorship, even expressing admiration for Adolf Hitler. Despite not having weapons or ammunition, prosecutors noted his destructive intentions were capable of seriously harming the political system.

Kandula, who was diagnosed with schizophrenia following his arrest, will serve three years of supervised release in addition to his prison sentence. His conviction likely results in deportation. This incident adds to a troubling pattern of attacks in the US fueled by Nazi ideology, including a 2022 mass shooting in Buffalo and a 2019 Walmart attack.

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