A Maryland woman has pleaded guilty to conspiring with a neo-Nazi leader to attack the Baltimore area power grid. Sarah Beth Clendaniel, 36, of Catonsville, admitted in federal court on Tuesday to planning sniper attacks on five electrical substations.
According to court documents, Clendaniel and her co-conspirator, Brandon Russell, believed the attacks 'would serve to break down society'. Russell, a Florida resident and co-founder of the neo-Nazi group Atomwaffen Division, previously served five years in prison for explosives charges.
The pair began exchanging letters around 2018 while incarcerated in different facilities, developing a romantic relationship that continued after their release. They discussed their plans with a government informant in January 2023, prosecutors said.
Clendaniel pleaded guilty to conspiracy to damage electrical facilities and being a felon in possession of a firearm. The conspiracy charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years, while the gun charge is punishable by up to 15 years. Sentencing is scheduled for 3 September.
Russell, also charged with conspiracy to damage electrical facilities, is awaiting trial. He was previously involved in a 2017 incident where his roommate killed two others, leading to Russell's arrest on explosives charges.
