Posted on 02/08/23
| News Source: WBAL TV
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.