Former neo-Nazi pleads guilty in death of 2 Florida roommates in 2017

May 8 (UPI) -- While decrying extremist groups, a former neo-Nazi on Monday pleaded guilty to killing two of his Florida roommates in 2017.

Devon Arthurs agreed to a plea deal to serve a 45-year prison sentence, with parole eligibility after 25 years, for the 2017 killing of Andrew Oneschuk and Jeremy Himmelman, the Tampa Bay Times reported. Arthurs alleged that the two, and another roommate, were part of a small neo-Nazi group called Atomwaffen Division.

Under the terms of the plea deal, once released, he will face 15 years of probation.

Arthurs admits he had been a member of the group in Tampa, Fla., but said that he later converted to Islam. He told authorities the group had plans to commit terrorist attacks, including attacking a nuclear power plant with explosives.

The other roommate, Brandon Russell, was not home at the time of the killing. He arrived at the scene as police were en route. Office staff at the apartment complex where the three lived had earlier called police after Arthurs told them about the slaying, authorities said.

Arthurs told police that Russell, a member of the National Guard, formed the neo-Nazi group. In February, Russell was charged for plotting a racially-motivated attack on Baltimore's power grid.

Officers found Oneschuk and Himmelman dead from gunshots from a WASR-10 assault rifle. While searching the apartment, they said they found bomb-making materials, neo-Nazi items and a framed photo of Timothy McVeigh, the domestic terrorist responsible for the Oklahoma City bombing.

While admitting to police that he had killed his roommates, Arthurs said he wanted to prevent a terrorist attack.

"The things they were planning were horrible. They're planning bombings and stuff like that on countless people, planning to kill civilian life," Arthurs said in an interrogation video, reported by WTSP Tampa Bay. "They know exactly how to build, how to build bombs that could destroy this entire building."

Arthurs had been held at a mental health facility for several years and was considered incompetent and could not stand trial. A mental health expert reportedly declared him fit to enter a guilty plea on Sunday.

When speaking to the court Monday, Arthurs reportedly expressed remorse and pledged to "advocate against extremism."