A Maryland woman was sentenced to 18 years in federal prison after plotting to attack the power grid surrounding the Baltimore area. Sarah Beth Clendaniel of Catonsville admitted to conspiring to damage or destroy electrical facilities, a threat deemed serious enough to potentially bring havoc upon the Baltimore region, with planned attacks targeting five power substations. Clendaniel, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland, sought to “completely destroy” Baltimore, furthering her white supremacist ideology through violent action.
In the detailed account by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the plot was revealed through encrypted communications between Clendaniel and her co-conspirator, Brandon C. Russell, with whom she shares a belief in "accelerationism"—the concept that society and government must be expedited toward collapse, leading to racial warfare. This extremism led to their plans, which were to be initiated at least by June and were predicated on a racially motivated, violent agenda.
Clendaniel revealed her plans to a confidential source, including past attempts to get a rifle for an attack. Law enforcement got a search warrant and found firearms and ammunition in her home, which she couldn't legally possess due to her felony status. Judge James K. Bredar sentenced her after recommendations from federal prosecutors and the FBI's investigation.
The FBI and local law enforcement collaborated to stop Clendaniel's plans, with Special Agent William J. DelBagno praising their teamwork for preventing a potential disaster. She received an additional 15-year sentence for possessing a firearm as a felon, which will run concurrently with her other sentences, and she will be under supervised release for life after her eventual release.
