This racist duo wanted to wipe out the whole city.
Two suspects have been arrested after allegedly plotting to sabotage multiple energy substations in an attempt destroy Baltimore.
According to ABC News, the U.S. Department of Justice announced on Monday that Brandon Russell of Orlando and Sarah Clendaniel of Catonsville, MD are facing federal charges after they allegedly “conspired to inflict maximum harm,” a plot fueled by racist extremism.
Baltimore, U.S. Attorney Erek Barron and a top FBI official revealed the duo aimed to target the power grid and completely destroy the Baltimore area.
Court documents showed Russell’s point of view that attacking power transformers was “the greatest thing somebody can do,” while Clendaniel told an FBI confidential source she was determined to carry out the attacks in an effort to “lay this city to waste.”
Russell is being accused of providing instructions and location information for the targeted substations.
“Their actions threatened the electricity and heat of our homes, hospitals and businesses,” said Thomas Sobocinski
, the special agent in charge of the FBI’s Baltimore field office. “The FBI believes this was a real threat.”A recorded conversation with the informant on Jan. 29, exposed Clendaniel’s plan to target five substations in the Baltimore area within the same day, including ones in Norrisville, Reisterstown and Perry Hall.
“[Clendaniel] described how there was a ‘ring’ around Baltimore and if they hit a number of them all in the same day, they ‘would completely destroy this whole city,'” the affidavit alleged.
Russell and Clendaniel are scheduled to appear in federal court on Monday, Feb. 6, Clendaniel in Baltimore and Russell in Orlando.