Woman accused of neo-Nazi plot to attack Baltimore's energy grid pleads guilty

BALTIMORE -- A Baltimore County woman has pleaded guilty Tuesday for conspiring to attack and destroy Baltimore region's power grid last year. 

Sarah Beth Clendaniel, from Catonsville, pleaded guilty to conspiring to damage or destroy electrical facilities and to being a felon in possession of a firearm, according to the Maryland Department of Justice. 

She is now facing a maximum of 20 years in prison on the conspiracy charge and 15 years on the felony charge, followed up to a lifetime of supervised release for the conspiracy charge. 

Maryland United States Attorney Erek L. Barron and Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office announced Clendaniel's guilty plea.

"Ms. Clendaniel's hate-fueled plans to destroy the Baltimore region power grid threatened thousands of innocent lives," said U.S. Attorney Barron. "But, when law enforcement and the communities we serve are united in partnership, hate cannot win."

"Ms. Clendaniel, a felon, spent months plotting, planning and taking steps to inflict grave damage to Maryland's power grid in furtherance of her white supremacist ideology," said Special Agent in Charge DelBagno. "Today's guilty plea highlights the commitment of the FBI to hold individuals accountable for their actions. The FBI will continue to investigate violent threats as the safety and security of all Marylanders remains a priority."

Clendaniel's accused accomplice, Brandon Russell of Florida, is still facing charges with conspiracy to damage or destroy electrical facilities in Maryland and is awaiting trial.