Posted on 08/07/25
| News Source: FOX45
Baltimore, MD - Aug. 7, 2025 - A Florida man has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for conspiring to damage or destroy electrical facilities in the Baltimore area.
Brandon Russell, 30, of Orlando, was sentenced Thursday to two decades behind bars, followed by a lifetime of supervised release.
Prosecutors say Russell orchestrated a plan to damage multiple electrical substations with the intent of causing widespread blackouts and chaos in the Baltimore region.
“Russell allowed hatred to drive him and his co-conspirator to plot a dangerous scheme that could have harmed thousands of people,” Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland said, via press release. “The sentence imposed today reflects the gravity of Russell’s egregious conduct and his ongoing threat to public safety. This conviction underscores our unwavering commitment to dismantling violent extremist threats and holding accountable anyone who dares to conspire to endanger the lives of others.”
From late 2022 until February 2023, Russell conspired with Sarah Clendaniel, 37, of Catonsville, Maryland, to carry out coordinated attacks on energy facilities.
Clendaniel was previously sentenced to 18 years in prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, in connection with her role in the scheme.
Officials say the pair targeted transformers and substations that were key to Baltimore's regional power grid to "cause a significant interruption and impairment."
According to court documents, their goal was to cause a “cascading failure” that would leave the city powerless, potentially resulting in more than $75 million in damages.
Clendaniel allegedly identified five specific substations to hit and claimed that a few well-placed shots could “completely destroy this whole city.”
FBI agents disrupted the plot before any attacks took place. The case was investigated by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, with support from law enforcement agencies across Maryland and Florida.
“This case illustrates the FBI’s vigilance in defending the homeland from radical violent extremists like Brandon Russell,” Special Agent in Charge Matthew Fodor, FBI Tampa Field Office said, via press release. “Our strong partnerships, resources, and resilience exemplifies our commitment to disrupting hate-filled campaigns intended to harm our communities.”
Authorities praised the teamwork that prevented what could have been a devastating act of domestic terrorism.
Anyone with information about hate crimes in Maryland is can contact the FBI Baltimore Field Office at (410) 265-8080 or submit a tip at https://tips.fbi.gov.