Brandon Russell, a 29-year-old founder of the neo-Nazi group Atomwaffen Division, was convicted of conspiring with his former girlfriend, Sarah Beth Clendaniel, to plan an attack on Maryland’s power grid in furtherance of their shared racist beliefs. They intended to carry out sniper attacks on electrical substations around Baltimore to create chaos in the majority-Black city. Russell was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to damage an energy facility and will be sentenced at a later date. He previously pleaded guilty to possession of an unregistered destructive device and improper storage of explosive materials.
During the trial, prosecutors presented evidence that Russell had introduced Clendaniel to a confidential informant, hoping the person could help her obtain a firearm for the attack. He expressed racist sentiments and urged secrecy in their communications. Russell’s defense attorney argued that while he supported disrupting modern society and restoring white supremacy, he was not actively planning to travel to Maryland to carry out the attack.
Russell’s legal troubles began when police investigating a 2017 double homicide discovered explosive materials and neo-Nazi paraphernalia in his possession. He pleaded guilty to possession of an unregistered destructive device and improper storage of explosive materials, receiving a five-year prison sentence. Russell and Clendaniel continued their relationship through letters while incarcerated in different facilities and developed a romantic connection after their release. Clendaniel pleaded guilty to plotting the attack and was sentenced to 18 years in prison in September.
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