Men attacked Washington state power substations to break into business, authorities say

Authorities arrested two men related to four vandalized power substations in Washington state on Christmas Day, and one indicated they did so to commit a burglary, according to court documents.

Matthew Greenwood, 32, and Jeremy Crahan, 40, were charged with conspiracy to damage energy facilities, and Greenwood was charged with possession of unregistered firearms.

The damage in Pierce County led about 14,000 people to lose power.

Court documents indicate Greenwood admitted to damaging the substations upon his arrest. He told authorities the duo damaged the substations before heading to a local business, where Greenwood admitted stealing money from a cash register.

The duo were arrested on New Year’s Eve and the charges were formally filed on Tuesday. The damages amounted to $3 million, according to court filings.

“I commend the work by the FBI to quickly identify these suspects and disrupt any future attacks on the east Pierce County power grid,” U.S. Attorney Nick Brown said in a statement. “We have seen attacks such as these increase in Western Washington and throughout the country and must treat each incident seriously.”

No attorney was listed for Greenwood and Crahan, and The Hill has reached out to the suspects for comment.

If convicted, they each face up to 20 years in prison for conspiracy to attack energy facilities.

Authorities allegedly found a short-barreled rifle and a short-barreled shotgun inside a fifth-wheel trailer where they arrested Greenwood. They charged him with possession of unregistered firearms, which carries an additional up to 10 years in prison.

The vandalism in Washington is the latest in a string of similar incidents across the country affecting power substations in recent weeks.

Power companies in Oregon, Washington and North Carolina have also reported physical damage to their energy infrastructure, at times leaving thousands of residents without power. 

Federal law enforcement in December warned of similar possible attacks elsewhere.