Neo-Nazi Plot to Attack Baltimore's Power Grid: Guilty Verdict

Brandon Russell, a neo-Nazi leader, was found guilty of planning to sabotage Baltimore's power grid. He conspired with accomplice Sarah Beth Clendaniel to attack electrical substations for ideological motives, risking $75 million in damage. Russell faces a sentencing in June, with Clendaniel already sentenced.

A neo-Nazi leader has been found guilty of conspiring to attack Baltimore's power grid, according to the U.S. Justice Department. Brandon Russell, 29, was arrested alongside an associate in February 2023 following an FBI operation that thwarted their plan.

Trial evidence revealed that from November 2022, Russell plotted to target electrical substations, motivated by his extremist beliefs. Prosecutors said he posted infrastructure maps online and outlined how attacks could cause cascading failures. He recruited Sarah Beth Clendaniel from Maryland to carry out the attacks, aiming to disrupt Baltimore's power.

Clendaniel identified five substations, and Russell attempted to secure a weapon for her use. The planned attacks were expected to cause $75 million in damage. Russell, a convicted felon and founder of the Atomwaffen Division neo-Nazi group, has a prior sentence for possessing explosive devices. He is set for sentencing in June and could face up to 20 years in prison, while Clendaniel has been given an 18-year sentence. Russell's lawyers declined to comment.