Maryland Woman Enters Guilty Plea for Power Grid Sabotage Plan
A 36-year-old Catonsville, Maryland woman, Sarah Beth Clendaniel, recently admitted to federal charges implicating her in a conspiracy to attack the Baltimore area's power grid. The plea acknowledges her direct involvement in plotting to bring down crucial energy facilities. In concert with Florida resident Brandon C. Russell, Clendaniel, who awaits trial, intended to enact widespread power outages and societal disruption by targeting the electrical backbone of Maryland's populous region.
Conspiracy Takes Root in Extremist Beliefs
Court documents outline the emergence of an extremist blueprint as Clendaniel became acquainted with Russell in 2018. Both shared white supremacist views and advocated for accelerationism, a belief pointing toward the inevitable crash of societal and governmental structures. Convinced that political solutions were unfeasible, they resolved that precipitating chaos through force was essential.
Plot Escalates Through Encrypted Channels
Their conspiracy took shape from December 2022 to February 2023 as they discussed attack strategies over encrypted communication applications. They aimed to lay the groundwork for a significant service interruption by targeting facilities vital to the region's power grid. Clendaniel and Russell planned synchronizing attacks on multiple substations to ensure maximal impairment.
Targeting Substations to Maximize Impact
On January 12, 2023, Clendaniel, operating under the alias "Nythra88," conveyed her commitment to the attack on the power grid to a confidential human source (CHS-1). Clendaniel and Russell sought to collaborate closely to ensure their plans would cause a cascading failure within the grid. They communicated their desire to inflict long-term damage on Baltimore's infrastructure, highlighting Norrisville, Reisterstown, and Perry Hall as potential targets.
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A Bold Admission and an Arrest Ensues
Elaborating on her meticulous approach, Clendaniel suggested to the CHS that coordinated strikes on five substations could potentially "lay this city to waste." She insisted on the precise execution of the attacks to bring forth a "cascading failure." However, the plot soon unraveled as law enforcement intercepted their plans, leading to Clendaniel's arrest on February 3, 2023, where firearms and ammunition were recovered from her bedroom in contravention of federal law due to her status as a convicted felon.
Upon entering a guilty plea for both the conspiracy and possession of firearms by a felon, Clendaniel now contends with the prospect of spending up to 20 years imprisoned for the conspiracy charge, coupled with an additional 15 year potential sentence for illegal possession of firearms.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathleen O. Gavin and Michael Aubin lead the prosecution's efforts. They are supported by the Justice Department's National Security Division and Counterterrorism Section. This case represents one of many that illuminate the overarching goal of the United Against Hate initiative spearheaded by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Maryland, which emphasizes the importance of community engagement in the reporting and ultimate thwarting of hate crimes and hate-driven conspiracies. With a sentence set for September 3, the repercussions of Clendaniel's actions stand as a testament to the vigilant efforts in upholding public safety against threats of domestic terrorism.
