Woman charged in alleged plot to attack Baltimore power grid has criminal history in Maryland
A Baltimore County woman accused of plotting with a neo-Nazi from Florida to attack Baltimore's power grid also has a lengthy criminal history in Maryland.
Sarah Beth Clendaniel, of Catonsville, and alleged co-conspirator Brandon Clint Russell, of Orlando, Florida, both remain in federal custody Tuesday after their arrests by the FBI.
Clendaniel, 34, has a history of criminal and civil cases in Cecil County dating back to at least 2005.
As a mother, she was sued for custody and child support. Online court records include her handwritten letters to judges that detail a history of "substance abuse" leading to "criminal activities."
Clendaniel has been convicted of theft, assault and robbery. She pleaded guilty in 2016 to a case in which police said she was machete when she robbed a string of convenience stores for cigarettes and cash. She was sentenced to nine years in prison.
The federal case against Clendaniel also triggered action at the state level after a felony case was reopened. According to a court document filed Monday, if and when Clendaniel is released, Maryland authorities will be ready and waiting to arrest her.
WBAL-TV 11 News knocked on the door of a Catonsville condominium, where a man on the other side of the door told our crew to leave. Some neighbors answered their doors and told 11 News how they saw FBI agents at the property.
Clendaniel's next court date is unknown as her federal case file remains sealed.
Russell's case file is online, and some of the documents are unsealed, including one that states he will be transferred to appear in U.S. District Court in Maryland in the federal case.
| RELATED: Feds: Maryland woman plotted with Florida man to attack Baltimore's power grid
In what federal authorities are calling a case of "domestic violent extremists," authorities on Monday announced charges in connection with an alleged plot to destroy energy facilities in Maryland.
According to an FBI affidavit obtained by 11 News, Clendaniel conspired with Russell, an alleged neo-Nazi leader, to secure a firearm and "put holes" through transformers at five energy substations that serve the Baltimore area.
Russell is a former Florida National Guardsman and a founder of the neo-Nazi group, Atomwaffen.
According to the criminal complaint, the FBI said three of the five substations appear to be located near Norrisville, Reisterstown and Perry Hall, and the remaining two substations are in the vicinity of Baltimore City.
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