A body camera image provided by the Justice Department shows Sai Varshith Kandula with a Nazi flag, north of the White House on May 22, 2023. - Justice Department via AP
MOSCOW: A court in the United States has sentenced an Indian national, Sai Varshith Kandula to eight years in prison, reported Sputnik/Ria Novosti quoting an ABC News report on Friday (Jan 17)
Kandula, who crashed into the White House fence in 2023, declared his desire to change the social order in the United States to a Nazi dictatorship.
The 20-year-old criminal will reportedly serve his sentence in a federal prison.
The prosecutors’ sentencing memorandum was quoted as saying that "individuals who carry such destructive intent are capable of inflicting serious damage to the American political system," and two attempts to assassinate US President-elect Donald Trump prove this.
In July 2024, 20-year-old Thomas Crooks attempted to assassinate Trump at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. In mid-September, Secret Service agents opened fire on a gunman's position near a golf course where Trump was playing at the time and arrested 58-year-old Ryan Routh in connection with the incident.
In May 2024, Kandula pleaded guilty to an attempted attack on the White House that took place on May 22, 2023. He drove a U-Haul truck into the fence surrounding the US presidential residence and waved a Nazi flag.
US media reported that during questioning, Kandula admitted that he wanted to get into the White House and seize power and was even willing to kill the president. He also spoke highly of Nazi ideology. During one of the hearings, it was revealed that Kandula had been examined by mental health professionals and diagnosed with schizophrenia. - Bernama-Sputnik/Ria Novosti
