By LEA SKENE
BALTIMORE (AP) — The founding father of a Florida-based neo-Nazi group has been sentenced to twenty years in federal jail for conspiring together with his girlfriend to plan an assault on Maryland’s energy grid in furtherance of their shared racist beliefs.
Brandon Russell, 30, was convicted by a jury earlier this 12 months. Prosecutors introduced proof detailing his longstanding affiliation with white supremacist causes and his current efforts to prepare “sniper assaults” on electrical substations round Baltimore.
Throughout a sentencing listening to Thursday afternoon in federal court docket in Baltimore, U.S. District Choose James Bredar excoriated the defendant for his reprehensible views, saying Russell was clearly the brains behind the operation, which sought to precipitate societal collapse by concentrating on the vitality infrastructure of a majority-Black metropolis.
Within the aftermath of the deliberate assaults, Russell and his co-defendant, Sarah Beth Clendaniel, meant to “create their very own weird utopia populated by individuals who solely look and assume like they do,” Bredar mentioned.
“Nicely, that’s not the way it works,” the choose continued. “The legislation doesn’t allow that. We don’t change course on this nation through violent overthrow.”
Bredar imposed the utmost sentence allowed for Russell’s conviction of conspiracy to break an vitality facility. The choose additionally ordered a lifetime of supervised launch, together with shut monitoring of Russell’s digital gadgets.
Bredar beforehand sentenced Clendaniel to 18 years behind bars after she pleaded responsible to her position within the plot. He mentioned Russell ought to obtain an extended sentence as a result of he was extra culpable and contributed the “mental horsepower” that propelled the plot nearer to fruition.
The 2 have been arrested in February 2023 — earlier than their plans have been executed.
Russell’s lawyer, Ian Goldstein, has argued that Clendaniel posed a larger menace as a result of she was taking steps to acquire a firearm and shoot up electrical substations. In the meantime, Russell was dwelling in Florida with completely no plans to journey to Maryland, in accordance with his lawyer.
“For Mr. Russell, every little thing was speak,” Goldstein informed the court docket.
He additionally pointed to Russell’s supportive household. Court docket papers filed forward of sentencing included a letter from his mom, who mentioned she believes he’s been attempting to fill the void left by a largely absent father. She mentioned some challenges arose along with her son after she moved them again to the Bahamas, the place she has relations.
“Brandon Russell is an informed younger man who has served this nation’s navy,” his lawyer wrote, connecting his descent into Naziism with longstanding psychological well being challenges. “His household relationships communicate volumes of the individual he could be.”
The choose wasn’t persuaded, however he famous Russell’s “considerably sophisticated psycho-social historical past” and beneficial psychological well being therapy throughout his time in jail.
Russell declined to deal with the choose straight. He appeared in court docket sporting maroon jail apparel and confirmed no apparent indicators of emotion in the course of the listening to.
A number of years in the past, Russell co-founded the neo-Nazi group Atomwaffen Division, which is German for “atomic weapon.”
This wasn’t his first run-in with legislation enforcement. In 2017, police responded to a 2017 double murder at a Tampa house constructing and located Russell outdoors crying, wearing navy fatigues. One among his roommates had killed the opposite two, officers mentioned. Throughout a search of the home, police discovered a stash of extremely explosive supplies and a cache of neo-Nazi indicators, posters, books and flags. Russell pleaded responsible to possession of an unregistered damaging system and improper storage of explosives.
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