Satanist ex-soldier sentenced in bomb plot case

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An ex-soldier who was painted as a Satanist by prosecutors was sentenced to two and a half years in prison on Wednesday for disseminating bomb-building instructions through social media.

Jarrett William Smith shared the information, which included the process for making napalm, with an undercover federal agent, according to The Associated Press.

This undated photo provided by the Riley County (Kansas) Police Department shows Jarrett Smith. Smith, a former U.S. soldier described by prosecutors as a Satanist has been sentenced to 2 1/2 years in federal prison for distributing information through social media about building a bomb and making napalm. (Riley County Police Department via AP)

He pleaded guilty to two felony charges of distributing explosives information in February.

A federal judge reportedly rejected a request from Smith's attorney for a more lenient sentence of 15 months and three years of supervised probation.

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U.S. District Judge Daniel Crabtree could have sentenced Smith to up to 20 years in prison and fined him $250,000, however, sentencing guidelines were more in line with what he ultimately received, The AP reported.

Crabtree said the sentencing guidelines were troublingly "low," especially given the severity of Smith's crimes.

"His planned actions, if executed, would have endangered countless members of the public," Crabtree explained.

Smith, 24, was stationed at Fort Reily as a private first class when he was arrested in 2019.

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Smith's attorney claimed their client's cleft lip and palate made him a victim from childhood, causing social trauma which led to his radicalization and membership in a neo-Nazi group.