News

Neo-Nazi leader found guilty in plot to attack Maryland power grid



The Florida leader of a Neo-Nazi group has been found guilty of planning to attack the Maryland power grid.

Brandon Russell, 29, of Orlando, was found guilty in the U.S. District Court in Baltimore of one count of conspiracy to damage an energy facility after the jury deliberated for less than an hour following a six-day trial.

Russell, the founder of Atomwaffen Division, plotted to attack electrical substations in the Baltimore area and throw the city into chaos, prosecutors said.

His co-conspirator, 36-year-old Sarah Beth Clendaniel, pleaded guilty last May for her role in the terroristic plan. She was sentenced to 18 years in prison.

According to prosecutors, Russell recruited Clendaniel and was advising her on how to acquire weapons and which substations to target, with the plan calling for a number of incidents across months in hopes of causing a “cascading failure.”

The two were arrested in 2023.

Russell faces a maximum of 20 years in prison. He’s being held at the Chesapeake Detention Facility with sentencing scheduled for a later date.

“Hate-fueled violence has no place in a civilized society,” Maryland U.S. Attorney Erek Barron said. “Brandon Russell went well beyond his First Amendment rights, orchestrating a terrorist plot that would’ve harmed thousands of innocent people. It won’t always be popular, but this office will do the right thing, the right way, for the right reason.”

Leave a comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Articles

News

Nets react to life after Ben Simmons: ‘We wish him luck and the best for him and his family’

Ben Simmons has taken his talents to the Los Angeles Clippers after...

News

2 people charged in murder of Fort Campbell soldier, including victim’s husband

Two people have been charged in connection with the vicious fatal stabbing...

News

Jets tell Aaron Rodgers they’re moving on without him: report

Aaron Rodgers’ Jets tenure is reportedly coming to an end. The Jets...

News

Hubie Brown, a basketball coach, broadcaster and always a teacher, calls his final game at 91

By Brian Mahoney Hubie Brown had just taken his first college coaching...