‘Satanist’ soldier Jarrett William Smith, who wanted to overthrow US government, pleads guilty in bomb plot

A 24-year-old US Army infantry soldier described by prosecutors as a Satanist who hoped to overthrow the US government pleaded guilty Monday to distributing information through social media about building a bomb and making napalm.

Jarrett William Smith, a private first class stationed at Fort Riley, Kansas, and previously at Fort Bliss, Texas, admitted during a court hearing to providing information about explosives in September to an FBI undercover agent.

Smith signed a formal plea agreement with federal prosecutors and then entered his pleas verbally during a half-hour court hearing before US District Judge Daniel Crabtree. He wore an orange prison jumpsuit and black athletic shoes and alternated between “Yes” and “Yes, sir” in answering questions from Crabtree.

“Did you provide this information with the intent that the person would use it?” Crabtree asked him.

Smith replied: “Yes”.

Smith also had faced a third felony charge of threatening to burn down the house of a far-left-leaning “antifa” member in Michigan, but that charge is to be dismissed under the plea agreement. The two other charges dealt with Smith’s actions while stationed at Fort Riley starting in July 2019.

Smith initially pleaded not guilty to all three charges in September but notified Crabtree last month that he would change his plea. The two charges to which he pleaded guilty carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a US$250,000 fine. Crabtree set his sentencing for May 18.