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A Tennessee man linked to white supremacist movements pleaded guilty on Monday to setting a fire that destroyed an office at a historic social justice center and to attempting to aid the militant group Hezbollah, according to federal court documents and the US Justice Department.

Regan Darby Prater, 28, entered the plea in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Knoxville to one count of arson and one count of attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, as reported by the Jerusalem Post and The Guardian.

Coverage Comparison

Both The Guardian and the Jerusalem Post reported on the guilty plea, though each emphasized different aspects of the case. The Guardian, a UK-based outlet, focused on the impact of the arson on the Highlander Research and Education Center, a school for grassroots leaders with historical ties to the US civil rights movement. The Jerusalem Post, which covers the Middle East from an Israeli perspective, highlighted the terrorism-related charge and the alleged link to Hezbollah, an Iran-backed group.

Both outlets reported that Prater's sentencing is scheduled for September 9 in Knoxville, before US District Judge Thomas A. Varlan.

Key Claims

  • Arson and damage: Prater admitted to planting a napalm-based incendiary device at the Highlander Center in New Market, Tennessee, causing $1.2 million in damage, according to both The Guardian and the Jerusalem Post. The fire broke out in the early morning of March 29, 2019, and destroyed an office, resulting in the loss of decades' worth of irreplaceable documents, The Guardian reported.
  • Aiding Hezbollah: Prater pleaded guilty to attempting to provide material support to Hezbollah by providing the names of 35,000 individuals he alleged were affiliated with the government of Israel, according to the Jerusalem Post and The Guardian. The Jerusalem Post reported that Prater wrote "Start the hunt" to an individual he believed to be associated with Hezbollah.
  • Motivation: Prater admitted in court that his attack on the Highlander Center was motivated by his white supremacist ideology and opposition to the center's association with the civil rights movement, as reported by the Jerusalem Post.
  • Prior conviction: Prater was previously sentenced to five years in federal prison for setting a fire at an adult video and novelty store in east Tennessee, according to The Guardian.
  • Possible sentence: Prater could receive up to 20 years in federal prison, along with fines, restitution, and a term of supervised release, according to both outlets.

Perspectives

The case has been covered from different angles. The Guardian's report emphasized the historical significance of the Highlander Center, noting its ties to civil rights leaders and the irreplaceable loss of documents. The Jerusalem Post's coverage focused on the Hezbollah connection, describing the alleged list of 35,000 names as a serious act of support for a foreign terrorist organization. Both outlets reported the white supremacist link, with The Guardian noting that Prater's posts in white supremacist group chats connected him to the crime, and that a white-power symbol was spray-painted at the scene.

Prater was arrested in April 2025, more than six years after the fire, according to The Guardian. His public defender did not respond to requests for comment. The case is set for sentencing on September 9, where Judge Varlan will determine the final sentence.