Woman gets 18 years for racist scheme to target Baltimore power stations.

A woman from Maryland has been sentenced to 18 years in prison for her involvement in a neo-Nazi scheme aimed at attacking multiple energy substations surrounding Baltimore. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for Maryland announced the sentence Wednesday, which also includes a lifetime of supervision following her release.

Sarah Beth Clendaniel pleaded guilty in May to charges related to federal conspiracy and firearms offenses. Prosecutors revealed that she had communicated intentions to use a high-powered rifle to shoot at key infrastructure across five substations, an act the government estimated could have inflicted around $75 million in damages if it had not been intercepted.

The conspiracy involved Clendaniel and a co-defendant, Brandon Russell, who is awaiting trial. Russell co-founded the neo-Nazi group AtomWaffen and he and Clendaniel believed that their plan to destroy the substations would trigger a “cascading failure” of Baltimore’s electrical grid, ultimately aiming to “permanently completely lay this city to waste,” as Clendaniel mentioned in conversations recorded with a confidential informant.

Russell, who had previously been incarcerated for a conviction in 2018 regarding the possession of an unregistered destructive device, initially communicated his plans while still serving his sentence.

This plot was characterized by prosecutors as driven by racism, with the aim of causing mass disorder in a city composed predominantly of Black residents. Clendaniel was quoted in charging documents expressing that executing the plan would be “legendary.” She acknowledged that her actions would lead to repair costs exceeding $100,000 for the energy facilities, as outlined in her plea documents.

The two crafted their plan while both were on probation. Russell began discussions in 2022 with a confidential FBI source regarding imminent attacks on critical infrastructure. In early 2023, Clendaniel expressed to the informant her urgency in obtaining a rifle to carry out attacks on the five substations she had identified.

Russell reportedly conveyed to the informant that “putting holes in transformers … is the greatest thing somebody can do,” and suggested that the attack be executed when the grid was under the most stress to maximize the disruption it would cause. He also indicated a willingness to connect the informant with Clendaniel to coordinate their efforts and enhance the impact of their planned attacks.

When Clendaniel met the informant, she expressed a belief that she was facing a terminal illness and aimed to secure a rifle rapidly to assault the chosen substations on the same day. She indicated that by targeting these facilities, they could effectively “destroy this whole city,” according to the affidavit.

The case underscores the severe threats posed by extremist ideologies and the potential for violence against critical infrastructure. The swift action taken by law enforcement to arrest Clendaniel and disrupt her plot was vital in averting significant damage. The investigation and subsequent prosecution highlight ongoing concerns about domestic terrorism and the interplay of race and violence in such incidents.

As the legal proceedings continue, with Russell still awaiting trial, the case serves as a reminder of the persistent challenges posed by radicalization and the need for vigilance in safeguarding public safety.