**Maryland Woman Receives 18-Year Sentence for Conspiring to Sabotage Baltimore Power Grid**
In a notable case that highlights the threats posed by domestic terrorism and radical ideologies, Sarah Beth Clendaniel, a 36-year-old woman from Maryland, has been sentenced to 18 years in federal prison for her conspiracy to sabotage the Baltimore area’s power grid. The U.S. Department of Justice announced that her sentence also includes a lifetime of supervised release. Clendaniel’s plan, spurred by her violent white supremacist convictions, was interrupted by law enforcement before any action could be taken.
### The Scheme to Sabotage Baltimore’s Power Grid
Clendaniel’s scheme involved attacks on five power substations located in and near Baltimore. As detailed in court documents, her intent was to “totally destroy” the city by undermining its electrical infrastructure, which would have resulted in catastrophic repercussions for the area. This plot was part of a larger ideology termed “accelerationism,” which is a belief embraced by certain white supremacists that societal collapse can be expedited through violent acts, ultimately aiming to create a racially homogenous state.
U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland characterized Clendaniel’s intentions as a serious threat to public safety, emphasizing that her objective was to propagate her violent white supremacist beliefs through widespread chaos and destruction. Fortunately, law enforcement acted before any attacks could occur.
### Clendaniel’s Origins and Beliefs
Clendaniel’s extreme views were recognized by her family. Her nephew, Daniel Clites, informed the Associated Press that she openly identified as a racist and actively sought to promote her agenda. Clendaniel’s ideologies were firmly based in white supremacy, and she endorsed accelerationism, advocating for violent measures to precipitate the downfall of the current political and social structure.
Her accomplice in the conspiracy, Brandon Russell, a Florida resident and founder of a neo-Nazi organization, met Clendaniel in 2018 while both were serving sentences for unrelated offenses. Their relationship began through correspondence and eventually blossomed into a romantic involvement. Following their releases from prison, they maintained communication and strategized on the attack targeting Baltimore’s power grid.
### Intervention by Law Enforcement
The conspiracy was uncovered through the efforts of a confidential informant, labeled in court documents as CHS-1 (Confidential Human Source). During several weeks in January 2023, Clendaniel and Russell revealed their intentions to the informant, who subsequently reported this information to authorities. On February 3, 2023, federal agents executed a search warrant at Clendaniel’s residence in Catonsville, Maryland, uncovering firearms and dozens of rounds of ammunition.
Clendaniel had solicited the informant’s assistance in obtaining a rifle, expressing a desire to “achieve something significant” before June 2023. She had pinpointed various power substations as possible targets, including sites in Norrisville, Reisterstown, and Perry Hall, believing that hitting these facilities would “utterly obliterate this entire city” and trigger a total failure in the electrical grid.
### Sentencing and Judicial Proceedings
Clendaniel was sentenced by U.S. District Judge James Bredar, who agreed with the government’s suggestion of an 18-year prison term. In addition to the conspiracy conviction, she received a 15-year sentence for being a felon in possession of a firearm, with the sentences set to run concurrently. Clendaniel’s criminal history included prior robbery convictions in 2006 and 2016, affirming her status as a repeat offender.
In their sentencing memorandum, U.S. attorneys labeled Clendaniel as an “unrepentant, violent white supremacist” and a “real threat to the community.” They contended that her extensive criminal record and extremist ideologies made her rehabilitation highly unlikely, suggesting that a lesser sentence would have little deterrent impact.
Her co-conspirator, Russell, had been sentenced in 2018 to five years for possessing an unregistered destructive device and illegally storing explosive materials. He is currently awaiting trial on charges related to the plot to compromise electrical facilities in Maryland.
### Evidence and Ideological Underpinnings
The FBI gathered pivotal evidence against Clendaniel through a search warrant targeting her Google accounts. Items found included images of Clendaniel in tactical gear featuring a swastika and holding firearms. One photograph depicted her with a minor who was also armed. Furthermore, documents retrieved from her account made references to infamous individuals such as Ted Kaczynski (the Unabomber), Anders Breivik (the Norwegian mass shooter), and Adolf Hitler, further underscoring her extremist ideology.
In one document, Clendaniel articulated her readiness to sacrifice “everything” for her cause, expressing regret over her inexperience with firearms while also indicating hope that she would soon gain expertise.
