Baltimore, Maryland
U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar sentenced Sarah Beth Clendaniel, a Catonsville resident, to 18 years in federal prison for conspiring to damage electrical facilities in Maryland.
She also received a concurrent 15-year sentence on Thursday for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
“Those who seek to attack our country’s critical infrastructure will face the full force of the United States Department of Justice,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Sarah Beth Clendaniel sought to ‘completely destroy’ the city of Baltimore by targeting five power substations as a means of furthering her violent white supremacist ideology. She will now spend the next 18 years in federal prison. The Justice Department will continue to aggressively counter, disrupt, and prosecute those who seek to launch these kinds of hate-fueled attacks that target our critical infrastructure, endanger entire cities, and threaten our national security.”
“The defendant plotted to disable the power grid around the entire Baltimore region and cause harm to thousands of people in pursuit of a racially motivated violent extremist agenda,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “Her plan failed thanks to the great work of the FBI and our law enforcement partners. Today’s sentencing should serve as a warning to others that you will be held accountable if you attempt to carry out violent attacks on our infrastructure or threaten the safety of those in our communities.”
These are the facts surrounding this case:
- In 2018, Clendaniel met Brandon C. Russell, who is charged with conspiracy to damage electrical facilities in Maryland. Both share white supremacist views and support “accelerationism,” which promotes violent action to cause societal collapse.
- From December 2022 to February 2023, Clendaniel and Russell conspired to attack energy facilities in Baltimore, aiming to disrupt the power grid with potential damages exceeding $75 million.
- They communicated their plans through encrypted apps, with Clendaniel confirming her involvement on January 12, 2023. She asked a confidential source (CHS-1) to help her obtain a rifle and discussed potential targets.
- Clendaniel identified five Baltimore area substations, including Norrisville, Reisterstown, and Perry Hall, and aimed to destroy them to cause widespread damage to the city.
- On January 31, 2023, Russell discussed how to maximize the damage to the substations to support their accelerationist goals.
- On February 3, 2023, law enforcement searched Clendaniel’s home, finding firearms and ammunition, despite her being a convicted felon
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathleen O. Gavin and Michael Aubin who are prosecuting the federal case, according to officials.