In accordance with an affidavit within the case, each suspects have been out on probation following earlier incarcerations.
Russell, who was the founding father of the neo-Nazi group Atomwaffen, allegedly started his communications in June 2022 with an FBI confidential informant. Russell was accused of encouraging the informant to hold out the assaults in opposition to important infrastructure “when there may be best pressure on the grid” and “when everyone seems to be utilizing electrical energy to both warmth or cool their houses.”
Russell provided to attach the informant with Clendaniel in December communications.
A recorded dialog with the informant on Jan. 29, uncovered Clendaniel’s plan to focus on 5 substations within the Baltimore space inside the identical day, together with ones in Norrisville, Reisterstown and Perry Corridor.
“[Clendaniel] described how there was a ‘ring’ round Baltimore and in the event that they hit quite a lot of all of them in the identical day, they ‘would fully destroy this complete metropolis,’” the affidavit alleged.
Russell and Clendaniel are scheduled to seem in federal courtroom on Monday, Feb. 6, Clendaniel in Baltimore and Russell in Orlando.
