TAMPA, Fla. — A man accused of killing his so-called "neo-Nazi terrorist" roommates back in 2017 pleaded guilty Monday morning in a Tampa courtroom.
Devon Arthurs spent years in a mental health facility after he was deemed not competent to stand trial. Now, he has agreed to spend 45 years in prison and be eligible for parole after 25 years, followed by 15 years of probation.
Arthurs was 18 years old when police said he shot and killed 22-year-old Jeremy Himmelman and 18-year-old Andrew Oneschuk. According to police, Arthurs said he had converted to Islam, which didn't sit well with his neo-Nazi roommates.
He reportedly told police he wanted to prevent an act of terrorism.
Investigators said they found bomb-making materials, Nazi propaganda and a framed photo of Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh in the Tampa apartment where the roommates' bodies were found.
Investigators say Arthurs had converted to Islam, which didn’t sit well with his neo-Nazi roommates and that during an argument he shot and killed both men. He also took three hostages at a nearby smoke shop before surrendering to Police.
“During the incident, I was 18 years old. I was brainwashed by militant movements growing up and stuff like that. I didn’t know,” Arthurs said in court. “I didn’t think that this was going to cause ramifications like this.”
At the time, Arthurs had told police he was trying to prevent an act of terrorism.
Investigators did, in fact, find bomb-making materials, Nazi propaganda and a framed photo of Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh inside the New Tampa apartment the roommates shared.
“I feel that I can be an advocate against extremism, and I’d like to take this moment to tell the world to stay away from extremist groups and tell that I want to try to dedicate my life to getting people away from militant movements and stuff like that,” Arthurs said.
Prosecutors say relatives accepted the deal -- a minimum 45 years in prison followed by 15 years of probation.
Under Florida law, Arthurs must serve at least 85% of his sentence before he’s eligible for parole. That would make him at least 62 years old before the time of his potential release.
“Overall, I’m sorry and I’m going to try to better myself and try to make the world a better place,” Arthurs said. “I will try to piece together the things that I caused.”
A fourth roommate, Brandon Russell, was also arrested after police said he admitted to being a neo-Nazi and gathered the explosives in the apartment. Investigators said Russell had just returned home from duty with the National Guard when he found his roommates' bodies.
Russell is being tried in a separate case where he is accused of plotting to attack part of the Maryland power grid. He could face 20 years in prison if convicted.
In a 2017 interrogation video obtained by 10 Tampa Bay, Arthurs explains that his roommates were part of a neo-Nazi group called the Atomwaffen Division, which was led by Russell.
"The things they were planning were horrible. They're planning bombings and stuff like that on countless people, planning to kill civilian life," Arthurs told investigators. "They know exactly how to build, how to build bombs that could destroy this entire building."