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Brandon Clint Russell, a neo-Nazi leader from Florida, was sentenced on Aug. 7 to 20 years in federal prison, the maximum sentence, for conspiring to attack critical electrical facilities in Baltimore, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Maryland.
Russell, 29, was convicted of conspiracy to damage an energy facility in February after a six-day trial, where he was found to have attempted to “lay waste to the city of Baltimore,” through the infrastructure attacks.
“Swift and thorough coordination from our law enforcement partners through the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force disrupted this significant threat to Maryland,” said Special Agent William J. DelBagno of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Baltimore Field Office, in a press release. “I am proud of the dedicated FBI agents and analysts who worked this case from Maryland to Florida. This investigation shows the commitment and broad reach of the FBI to ensure those plotting harm are brought to justice.”
Sarah Beth Clendaniel, Russell’s co-conspirator from Catonsville, was also recently sentenced to 18 years in prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release.
“Russell’s plan was in furtherance of his racially or ethnically motivated violent extremist beliefs,” the press release stated.
Russell founded and led the neo-Nazi group Atomwaffen Division.
Evidence from the trial revealed that from November 2022 until early February 2023, Russell recruited Clendaniel to carry out attacks on five gas and electric substations which would have caused $75 million in damages. Russell planned to attack the substations simultaneously to create maximum disruption and cause a “cascading failure” of the power systems.
“Russell allowed hatred to drive him and his co-conspirator to plot a dangerous scheme that could have harmed thousands of people,” said Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, in the 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.”
Despite evidence of Russell’s recruitment efforts, Ian Goldstein, Russell’s lawyer, argued for Russell to have a lighter sentence than Clendaniel because he was “all talk,” according to CBS News.
“Ms. Clendaniel was the one who was actually going to go through with this attack, had armed herself and was prepared to do so,” Goldstein said. “It was her idea, and she was charged with an additional crime that Mr. Russell was not charged with.”
After Clendaniel was sentenced to 18 years after pleading guilty for her role in the conspiracy, one year later, Senior U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar imposed the maximum sentence for Russell’s conviction of conspiracy. Bredar explained that Russell should receive a longer sentence due to his intellectual role in the plot to damage the energy facility.
“This case illustrates the FBI’s vigilance in defending the homeland from radical violent extremists like Brandon Russell,” said Special Agent in Charge Matthew Fodor of the FBI’s Tampa Field Office. “Our strong partnerships, resources and resilience exemplifies our commitment to disrupting hate-filled campaigns intended to harm our communities.”
Molly Russell, Brandon Russell’s grandmother, wrote a letter to Bredar, asking for a lenient sentencing.
The letter stated, “Not until he got arrested the first time did we realize he professed to being a white supremest and had Neo-Nazi beliefs.”
His grandmother wrote, “He has been diagnosed with ADHD since he was really young and some psychiatrist thought he could be bipolar. I really feel Brandon needs psychiatric help.”
Molly Russell added, “The things I saw in court, the writings, are not the Brandon I know. … I do not believe with all my heart he would ever commit a crime to such an extent as what he was found guilty of.”
Russell had previously been incarcerated after authorities found explosive materials in his home in Florida in 2017 and was released on supervised probation, which he was on at the time of the Baltimore terror plot, CBS News reported.
PBS reported in 2018 that Russell’s original plot targeted infrastructures like power lines, nuclear reactors and synagogues.
The ADL reported Russell’s Atomwaffen Division flag as a “Hate Symbol” and added that, “Members of Atomwaffen have already been connected to several murders in the group’s short history.”
Those murders are attributed to Devon Arthurs, and included Andrew Oneschuk, 18, and Jeremy Himmelman, 22, about six years before Russell’s recent arrest. All three men were deemed members of the Atomwaffen Division.
Arthurs told police the group had planned a terrorist attack by the Atomwaffen Division.
“I prevented the deaths of a lot of people,” Arthurs said in a rambling statement after his arrest. Asked why his roommates would plan such an attack, he responded, “Because they want to build a Fourth Reich.”
The third roommate was Russell, who pleaded guilty to federal charges of possessing illegal firearms and storing explosives illegally just four months after the murders.
WBAL reported that police found that Russell was not involved in the murders, but during their investigation they found him in possession of “highly explosive materials” and neo-Nazi signs, posters, books and flags.
Russell was sentenced to five years in prison on the weapons and bomb charges.
According to CBS News, Russell is now in the custody of the U.S. Marshals.
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Amy Hollander is a Baltimore Jewish Times Intern.
