White Supremacist Leader Convicted in Plot to Attack Baltimore Power Grid

A federal jury has found Brandon Russell, 29, of Orlando, Florida, guilty of conspiracy to damage an energy facility, concluding a six-day trial in Baltimore. Russell, a self-identified National Socialist, conspired to carry out attacks on electrical substations in the Baltimore region in an effort to cause widespread power outages and destruction. The plan, prosecutors argued, was motivated by his neo-Nazi accelerationist ideology and aimed at destabilizing the city.

From November 2022 to February 2023, Russell and his co-conspirator, Maryland resident Sarah Beth Clendaniel, planned attacks on critical infrastructure that would have disrupted electricity transmission and distribution. Russell provided open-source maps of energy facilities and discussed how coordinated strikes on substations could trigger a cascading power failure. Clendaniel identified five substations to target and suggested that multiple, well-placed shots could render Baltimore uninhabitable. Russell attempted to acquire a firearm for her to carry out the attack. Officials estimated the planned destruction would have resulted in losses exceeding $75 million.

Russell now faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. His co-defendant, Clendaniel, was sentenced on September 25, 2024, to 18 years in federal prison, followed by lifetime supervised release, for her role in the plot and for possessing a firearm as a felon. Senior U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar will determine Russell’s sentence based on federal guidelines and statutory factors. Authorities emphasized that the conviction reinforces the government’s commitment to combating extremist threats against public infrastructure.

Federal officials, including U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron and FBI Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno, commended the investigation led by the FBI’s Baltimore Field Office and its Joint Terrorism Task Force. They acknowledged support from multiple law enforcement agencies, including the Maryland State Police and Baltimore County Police Department, as well as the Justice Department’s National Security Division. Officials encouraged the public to report hate crimes and threats against infrastructure to law enforcement.

Article by multiple RFHC contributors.

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