Two men have been charged by authorities in Virginia with attempting to illegally buy weapons and explosives that they purportedly intended to use to attack black churches and synagogues.

According to the affidavit of FBI agent James Rudisill, the two men—Robert C. Doyle and Ronald Beasley Chaney III—tried to purchase an automatic weapon, explosives and a .45 calibre pistol with a silencer from three undercover agents posing as firearms dealers, according to the Associate Press.

The two, described as white supremacists, were charged before a U.S. District Court in Richmond, Virginia, on Nov. 9 with conspiracy to possess firearms after being convicted of felonies.

Charles Halderman, an associate, was also accused of planning to rob a jeweller and use the money to help Doyle purchase a land and stockpile weapons for "an impending race war" and was charged with robbery conspiracy.

According to the affidavit, Doyle is a previously convicted felon with convictions for possession and distribution of controlled substances, embezzlement, and grand larceny. He had seven felony convictions, according to the Virginia State Police.

Chaney has also been convicted of multiple felony charges including violent felonies.

His father, Ronald Beasley Chaney Jr., and mother, Terry Gunn Chaney, were also charged with drug and firearms offences after the Henrico County police searched a home in Highland Springs on Sunday, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

Rudisill described Doyle and Chaney as people that "ascribe to a white supremacy extremist version of the Asatru faith."

The F.B.I. learned that Doyle planned to host a meeting last September to discuss "shooting or bombing the occupants of black churches and Jewish synagogues, conducting acts of violence against persons of Jewish faith, and doing harm to a gun store owner in the state of Oklahoma."

A month later, Doyle and Chaney met for the first time with an undercover F.B.I. agent to talk about purchasing weapons.

Doyle ordered weapons and the transaction was completed Sunday. Chaney was arrested immediately. Doyle was arrested by authorities later that day.

The two suspects admitted that they arranged for the gun purchase.