Man Linked to White Supremacist Groups Pleads Guilty to Arson at Historic Social Justice Center
A man with ties to white supremacist groups has pleaded guilty to setting fire to an office at a historic social justice center in Tennessee. Regan Prater also admitted to trying to aid a foreign terrorist organization by providing information to Hezbollah. Sentencing is set for September in Knoxville. Prater was arrested last April in connection with the arson at the Highlander Research and Education Center in New Market, which occurred in March 2019. The investigation linked him to the crime through his posts in white supremacist group chats. A white-power symbol was found near the fire site, similar to one used by the Christchurch mosque shooter in New Zealand.
Initially charged with arson, Prater's indictment was dismissed in favor of a new criminal information that included the Hezbollah-related charge. In a plea agreement, the government agreed to a maximum sentence of 20 years. Prater had previously been sentenced to five years for setting fire to an adult store in East Tennessee. The Highlander Center has a rich history of civil rights activism, with figures like Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr. having received training there. The fire at Highlander destroyed decades' worth of valuable documents and materials from the Civil Rights Movement.
In conclusion, the guilty plea of Regan Prater in connection with the arson at the Highlander Research and Education Center highlights the destructive impact of hate-fueled actions on important historical sites and the ongoing fight for social justice.