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Bahamian-American Brandon Clint Russell, 30, a former student of St Andrew’s International School in Nassau, has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for conspiring to damage or destroy electrical facilities in Maryland as part of a white supremacist plot to incite chaos and terror.
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The sentence, handed down on Thursday, August 7, 2025, by Senior U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar, also includes a lifetime of supervised release.
Russell, who had been living in Orlando, Florida, was convicted earlier this year after a six-day trial. Prosecutors said he harbored Neo-Nazi beliefs and attempted to recruit others in a racially and ethnically motivated campaign of violence aimed at U.S. critical infrastructure. His actions were aimed at triggering widespread blackouts and societal panic in support of white supremacist ideology.
“Russell allowed hatred to drive him and his co-conspirator to plot a dangerous scheme that could have harmed thousands of people,” U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland Kelly O. Hayes said. “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.”
From at least November 2022 through February 2023, Russell conspired with Sarah Beth Clendaniel, 37, of Catonsville, Maryland, to attack several electrical substations in the Baltimore area. Prosecutors revealed that Russell shared open-source maps showing the locations of vulnerable substations and discussed tactics to trigger a “cascading failure” in the grid. According to court records, he believed coordinated strikes on just a few facilities could bring down power across the region.
Their plan involved identifying five substations, which Clendaniel aimed to attack. Russell attempted to secure weapons for her, and in conversations recorded by authorities, Clendaniel boasted the attack could “permanently completely lay this city to waste.”
“This case illustrates the FBI’s vigilance in defending the homeland from radical violent extremists like Brandon Russell,” said Matthew Fodor, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Tampa Field Office. “Our strong partnerships, resources, and resilience exemplify our commitment to disrupting hate-filled campaigns intended to harm our communities.”
Russell’s plot was thwarted through the work of law enforcement agencies across multiple states, with key intelligence gathered by an undercover informant using the alias “Jackson.” The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force coordinated the effort, intercepting communications and gathering critical evidence that led to the arrests and convictions.
Clendaniel was sentenced earlier to 18 years in federal prison for her role in the plot.
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In court, prosecutors emphasized that the intended financial damage from the attacks would have exceeded $75 million and could have impacted tens of thousands of lives. Judge Bredar described the plot as a “chilling example of homegrown violent extremism” and cited the “serious and calculated threat” posed by Russell’s actions.
The trial was conducted under heightened security, with law enforcement officers and informants testifying under aliases due to the extremist nature of the case and the potential for retaliation.
Russell’s case is now being closely watched across the Caribbean, especially in The Bahamas, where his past links to a prominent school have drawn attention. International media outlets have underscored the contrast between his Bahamian upbringing and the ideology he later embraced in the United States.
English (US) ·