Federal prosecutors are pushing for an 18-year prison sentence for Sarah Beth Clendaniel, 36, who admitted to plotting to attack power stations in Baltimore as part of a white supremacist scheme aimed at destabilizing the government. Clendaniel’s mother, Lanette, has expressed her belief in her daughter’s eventual redemption despite her Neo-Nazi beliefs.
In recorded phone calls, Clendaniel detailed plans to use high-powered rifles to target substations in Reisterstown, Perry Hall, White Marsh, and other areas, claiming it could “completely destroy” the city. The prosecution described Clendaniel as an “accelerationist,” intent on using violent acts to collapse society and advance white supremacist ideologies.
Lanette Clendaniel plans to support her daughter during sentencing and has written a letter to the judge, expressing hope for a spiritual transformation regardless of her daughter’s incarceration status.
Prosecutors highlighted the potential $75 million in damage and widespread power outages that could have resulted from the thwarted plot. Clendaniel’s co-defendant, Brandon Russell, a co-founder of the Neo-Nazi group Atomwaffen Division, will face trial in November.
Sentencing for Clendaniel is scheduled for September 25th in Baltimore.