(LibertySociety.com) – On December 25, officials in Washington state reported four different electrical substations were vandalized, causing thousands of people in the surrounding areas to lose power. The damage was inflicted upon multiple Tacoma Public Utilities Substations and Puget Sound Energy stations. In each instance, the suspects entered a fenced-in area and then rendered the energy equipment non-functional.
On December 31, police arrested two men in connection to the crimes. The complaint against Jeremy Crahan and Matthew Greenwood stated that prosecutors believe the pair damaged the equipment on purpose to cause residents to lose power. Reportedly, their intention was to burglarize a business. The pair faces a charge for conspiracy to damage energy facilities, and Greenwood faces an additional charge for possessing an unregistered firearm.
Two men have been arrested and charged with vandalizing electrical substations in Washington state, attacks that left thousands without power over the holidays, U.S. authorities said. https://t.co/XRoRTikk3Q
— The Associated Press (@AP) January 3, 2023
Prosecutors detail in the legal complaint that Crahan and Greenwood cut the chain link fence protecting the substations to gain access to the energy equipment inside. Authorities suspect the pair mishandled switches that took down power for nearly 15,000 residents overall. Their tampering reportedly caused about $3 million in damages.
The day after the vandalism, Tacoma Power shared surveillance footage with the FBI, which showed not only the suspects but the vehicle they allegedly used to travel between substations to commit the illegal activities. According to the complaint, Investigators also used cell phone records to place the suspects in the area of the crimes.
On December 30, a judge in Washington authorized a search warrant for both suspects’ homes, a 5th-wheel trailer, and their vehicles. FBI agents, along with local police, executed the legal searches the next day and arrested Greenwood. Later that day, police reportedly arrested Crahan.
If convicted, the defendants face up to 20 years behind bars, with Greenwood facing an additional 10 years in prison for the firearm charge.
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