Neo-Nazi Leader's Baltimore Blackout Plot Thwarted

Brandon Russell, a neo-Nazi leader, was found guilty of plotting to attack Baltimore's power grid. The plan involved damaging electrical substations to advance extremist beliefs and could have caused $75 million in damage. Russell faces up to 20 years in prison, while an accomplice was sentenced to 18 years.

A federal court has found Brandon Russell, a 29-year-old neo-Nazi leader from Orlando, guilty of conspiring to damage an energy facility, the U.S. Justice Department announced on Tuesday.

Russell and his accomplice were arrested in February 2023 after a plot to attack Baltimore's power grid was discovered by the FBI with assistance from a confidential informant. Evidence showed that Russell plotted to attack electrical substations to further his extremist beliefs.

The planned assault targeted five substations in Baltimore, aiming to cause a 'cascading failure' and inflict over $75 million in damage. Russell, a neo-Nazi group founder, could face a 20-year prison sentence in June, while his recruited accomplice received an 18-year sentence.