Summary

Brandon Russell, leader of the neo-Nazi group Atomwaffen Division, was convicted of conspiring to attack Maryland’s power grid in a terrorist plot.

Prosecutors say Russell recruited Sara Beth Clendaniel to shoot at multiple Baltimore-area substations, aiming to cause mass blackouts and societal disruption.

Clendaniel, who took a plea deal, received 18 years in prison. Russell previously served five years for possessing explosives.

Officials estimate the planned attack would have caused $75 million in damages and widespread outages. He faces up to 20 years in federal prison.