On February 6, 2023, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that two suspects had been charged with planning a firearms attack on five Baltimore Gas & Electric (BGE) substations.[1] According to the DOJ, Sarah Beth Clendaniel of Catonsville, Maryland, and Brandon Clint Russell of Orlando, Florida, were arrested on February 3, 2023, and charged with conspiracy to destroy an energy facility. The two individuals planned to attack several substations across Baltimore, Maryland, to cripple the city’s electricity infrastructure. The planned attack was based on race, and at least one of the suspects is a member of a neo-Nazi group. BGE, an Exelon subsidiary, said it is working closely with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), state and local investigators.

“Attacks on multiple electrical substations in Maryland would have caused suffering to thousands of Americans going about their everyday lives, but the FBI and our partners put a stop to that threat,” said Assistant Director Robert R. Wells of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division. “According to the criminal complaint, the defendants allegedly were taking specific steps to carry out their plans, including selecting targets and trying to illegally acquire a rifle. The FBI and our partners will hold accountable all those who commit criminal acts that threaten the safety of those in our communities, regardless of their motivations.”

[1] https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/maryland-woman-and-florida-man-charged-federally-conspiring-destroy-energy-facilities