Neo-Nazi Leader Sentenced 20 Years for Maryland Power Grid Plot

Brandon Clint Russell, a co-founder of the neo-Nazi group Atomwaffen Division, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison and a lifetime of supervised release for plotting to attack Maryland's power grid in a racially motivated terrorist plan. Federal prosecutors revealed that Russell, driven by violent extremist beliefs, recruited Sarah Beth Clendaniel to help carry out a series of planned 'sniper attacks' on Baltimore Gas and Electric substations from December 2022 to February 2023, aiming to trigger a cascading failure that could have left thousands without power and caused up to $75 million in damages. Clendaniel, who pleaded guilty in May 2024, received an 18-year prison sentence. Authorities emphasized that the attack, if successful, would have threatened countless lives, with officials noting that the plot was motivated by hatred and accelerationist ideology. The sentences reflect the severity of the plot and the government's commitment to countering violent extremist threats targeting critical infrastructure.