Woman behind Neo-Nazi plot to destroy Maryland's power grid sentenced to 18 years in prison
BALTIMORE -- Sarah Beth Clendaniel, who pleaded guilty to trying to attack and destroy the power grid in the Baltimore region, was sentenced to 18 years in prison with lifetime supervision post-release.
Prosecutors said Clendaniel, 36, from Catonsville, planned to blow up power stations around Baltimore to destabilize the government in a white supremacist plot.
According to prosecutors, the attack would have resulted in $75 million in damages and caused power outages for much of the state.
This sentence comes after Clendaniel accepted a plea deal and ultimately was found guilty of the crimes in May.
The plot
Federal law enforcement agents arrested Clendaniel in 2023 after executing a search warrant at her Catonsville home. Agents recovered various firearms from her bedroom and hundreds of rounds of ammunition. Clendaniel is prohibited from possessing a firearm because she is a convicted felon.
The plot to blow up several BGE substations was developed with Brandon Russell, who will go to trial for his case in November. He is the co-founder of Atomwaffen Division, a neo-Nazi organization.
Evidence used in the trial included transcripts of recorded phone conversations between Clendaniel and a confidential informant, revealing that she wanted to obtain a high-powered rifle to shoot through substations in Reisterstown, Perry Hall, White Marsh, and more locations.
Transcripts from recorded phone calls with a confidential source say that Clendaniel tried to obtain a high-powered rifle illegally to carry out the plot, which was developed over three months between December 2022 to February 2023.
According to court documents, Clendaniel met Russell in 2018. Both believe in "accelerationism," a white supremacist belief that the current government needs to be violently overthrown to create societal and government collapse.
Day in court
Wearing a light blue prison uniform, Clendaniel stood tapping her leg as Senior U.S. District Judge James Bredar handed down her sentence.
During the sentencing hearing, Judge Bredar explained these charges could have elevated the sentence because the plot promoted domestic terrorism. If executed, the plot would've caused at least $75 million in damage to just the transformers, according to the prosecution.
Prosecutors say Clendaniel has been in communication with her co-defendant, Russell, through Dallas Humber, an alleged transnational terrorist group leader from California. Humber is accused of soliciting hate crimes, the murder of Federal officials, and conspiring to provide materials to terrorists. The communication between Clendaniel, Humber and Russell persisted until July 2024.
Prosecutors allege this communication shows that Clendaniel is still conspiring during recorded phone calls while incarcerated. They added Clendaniel never disclosed these phone calls to the court nor to the defense's psycological expert.
"Dangerous"
Judge Bredar called Clendaniel "dangerous" and said the plot was "terrifying" and "audacious."
Her public defender called her client vulnerable, citing childhood abuse as fueling Clendaniel's criminal history. Previously, she's served time for other felonies, including robbery charges.
Before receiving the sentence, Clendaniel addressed the courtroom saying she is more likely to hurt herself than others. She says she still retains her national socialist beliefs, which she has had since she was 13 years old, but that she would not act on them.
Judge Bredar explained that she is not being sentenced for her beliefs, rather she is being put behind bars because she was prepared to act on them and cause significant harm. He said he is not convinced she wouldn't act on them in the future.
Clendaniel's mother speaks with WJZ
Lanette Clendaniel, Sarah's mother, was not in court on Wednesday. She spoke with WJZ by phone and said she is bringing her grandchildren to see Sarah on Wednesday night.
She said she was not surprised by the sentence but has little confidence that the treatment programs will help her daughter.
"I mean that's what they [prosecutors] were wanting was 18 years and life probation," Lanette Clendaniel said over the phone. "I support her 100% – not in her beliefs – she's under the influence of other spirits. When God pours his spirit out on her, those spirits will flee."
Terms of the sentence
The court recommended Clendaniel serve her term at the federal women's prison in Danbury, Conn. The court also asked that she received mental health treatment, substance abuse treatment, and vocational training in her chosen field, which is HVAC and plumbing.
"Such cowardice, designed to disrupt and endanger the lives of Maryland's citizens, will not be tolerated," U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek Barron said.
BGE did not comment on the sentencing on Wednesday.
Clendaniel will stay in U.S. Marshal custody before she is transferred to federal prison. She is currently being held at the Maryland Correctional Institution for Women.