Officials from the FBI and the U.S. Attorney's Office in Baltimore arrested two individuals, described as "racially or ethnically" motivated extremists who were attempting to attack the Baltimore, Maryland power grid in an area where 61% of inhabitants are Black.
Officials said they believe it was a "real threat" that was thwarted last December 2022. There were other attacks on power grids in North Carolina, Washington, and Oregon that same month. They claim that this attempt was not related to these attacks.
Charged with conspiracy to destroy an energy facility
U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron and Special Agent Thomas J. Sobocinski of the FBI's Baltimore office announced that Sarah Beth Clendaniel, a 34-year-old Maryland resident, and Brandon Clint Russell, a 27-year-old Florida resident, were charged in a federal criminal complaint with conspiracy to destroy an energy facility. Their plot was rooted in their "racially or ethnically motivated" violent extremist beliefs.
Russell is a known founder of a neo-Nazi group that wants to "usher in the collapse of civilization," and Clendaniel is a criminal who has robbed stores with machetes.
They wanted to "completely" destroy Baltimore
An FBI informant claimed to have been contacted by Russell in June of last year. The man wanted to "attack electrical substations and gave him guidance on how to cause maximum damage" to the population. Russell then connected the informant with Clendaniel, to discuss plans for an attack on stations in and around Baltimore, according to the criminal complaint.
A recording of the informant exposed Russell giving out the locations of the substations. Clendaniel confessed that he planned, on the same day, to attack five stations and that "with four or five shots (...) they would completely destroy the whole city":
We would probably completely destroy this city permanently if we could do so successfully.
A maximum penalty of 20 years imprisonment
If convicted, Russell and Clendaniel will each face a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. According to Sobocinski, the threat from extremists "is evolving and persistent."
The threat posed by domestic violent extremists is evolving and persistent (...) The FBI will continue to work closely with our law enforcement and private sector partners to identify and disrupt any potential threats to the safety and security of our citizens.
"The defendants did not just talk the talk, they took action to carry out their threats and further their extremist goals. Russell provided instructions and location information (...) He described the attack on the power transformers as the greatest thing anyone could do," Sobocinski added.
