Neo-Nazi Couple Sentenced for Maryland Power Grid Plot

Brandon Russell, founder of the neo-Nazi group Atomwaffen Division, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison and a lifetime of supervised release for conspiring with his girlfriend, Sarah Beth Clendaniel, to attack multiple electrical substations in the Baltimore area. The pair aimed to cause widespread blackouts and societal collapse to further white supremacist ideology. U.S. District Judge James Bredar imposed the maximum sentence, citing Russell's role as mastermind and his ongoing threat to public safety. Evidence showed Russell's long ties to violent extremist groups and his vision of a racially exclusive society through violent means. Clendaniel, who pleaded guilty, received an 18-year sentence. Both were arrested in February 2023 before they could execute the plot.