Global Courant 2023-05-30 05:59:10
The man accused of driving into a box truck near the White House in an attempt to overthrow the government was planning a speech announcing the end of American democracy, prosecutors said.
Sai Varshith Kandula, 19, of Chesterfield, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis, was held without bail pending a hearing Tuesday. He was arrested after the May 22 crash and charged with looting United States property.
However, investigators and prosecutors have suggested that the more serious case was his alleged intent to seize power and harm the president if necessary.
A memo filed by federal prosecutors on Friday in support of keeping Kandula behind bars without conditions ahead of a potential trial said he kept a diary of a coup speech he planned to give if he had the government taken over after the crash.
The memo quotes a passage from the magazine, which the defendant described as a “green book” describing a post-democratic US. He addresses “my fellow citizens of America” in prescribing historic change.
“As I am acquainted with the (unknown) fact that this country is a democratic nation, and this will no longer be the case,” the passage reads, according to the memo. “There will be consequences if civil unrest arises. To make it clear Any opposition will be punished with the death penalty to make it clear: (kill president) As you have seen, we will declare ourselves court-martial until the situation (unknown ) is. We will rebuild this world.”
Sai Varshith Kandula.Rockwood school district in Missouri
The defendant, who allegedly grabbed a Nazi flag from the cargo hold of the rented U-Haul just before being apprehended, ended the passage with the words “Sieg hail,” echoing but misspelling the Nazi motto that ” hail victory” means.
No one was injured in the accident at 9:35 p.m. The Ford truck struck bollards at an entrance to Lafayette Square, north of the White House grounds, prosecutors said. The motorist backed up and hit them again, and the truck was apparently disabled at the time, they said.
Kandula told Secret Service agents that he intended to seize power and kill President Joe Biden if necessary. He praised Adolf Hitler as a “strong leader,” the memo said.
The memo included photos of the bollards the vehicle hit. They protect a path that leads directly to the White House, which can be seen in the distance.
Prosecutors allege Kandula is a danger to the community and a flight risk because he has visited India on multiple occasions. They said he is a lawful permanent resident of the US and could be deported if convicted.
The government argued that the attack was planned on federal lands, including travel from the St. Louis region to Washington and the rental of the box truck.
Kandula’s defense had yet to respond. It was not clear if he has a lawyer. The Washington federal public defense office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Kandula claimed success after the crash, even though he was deprived of his liberty, according to the memo. He told Secret Service agents that he thought his writings would reach a wider audience.
“Anyway,” prosecutors quoted him as saying, “whether I got to the White House or not, my message was received.”
Kandula was scheduled to appear in federal court in Washington at 3 p.m. Tuesday for a hearing on whether to remain behind bars pending a possible trial.
