Puyallup man pleads guilty, faces 20 years in prison for Christmas day power substation attacks
Man pleads guilty to vandalizing 4 power substations
The attack on the power substations happened on Christmas Day so the two suspects could rob multiple businesses when the power was out, prosecutors said. Detectives say they caused $3 million in damages and left 30,000 people in the dark.
TACOMA, Wash. - A Washington man pleaded guilty Friday to conspiracy to destroy energy facilities for vandalizing four power substations in Pierce County on Christmas Day.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Washington, Matthew Greenwood, 32, and Jeremy Crahan, 40, carried out the attacks on Dec. 25, 2022. They also planned to fell trees to take out power lines, but were arrested before that plan was put into action.
According to a criminal complaint, Greenwood told investigators after his arrest that the two knocked out power, so they could burglarize businesses and steal from ATMs.
The attacks 5 caused at least $3 million in damages and left about 30,000 people without power, according to court documents and utility officials.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Energy Attack in Washington: Two men arrested after power grid knocked out on Christmas Day
Authorities said these are the four substations that were attacked:
- Hemlock Substation in Puyallup, Washington, owned by Puget Sound Energy. Here, the two cut through a fence and Greenwood manipulated a switch damaging equipment and cutting power for 8,000 customers.
- Elk Plain substation in Spanaway, Washington, owned by Tacoma Power. The men cut padlocks on the gate and Greenwood manipulated breakers to damage equipment and cause an outage
- Graham substation in Graham, Washington, operated by Tacoma Power. The men cut through a perimeter fence and Greenwood manipulated a switch to damage equipment. This outage, combined with the Elk Plain substation outage, caused more than 7,500 customers to lose power.
- Kapowsin Substation in Graham, Washington, operated by Puget Sound Energy. The men cut through a fence and Greenwood tampered with a switch causing sparks, flame, and a power outage.
RELATED: State lawmakers propose power grid protections after attacks on substations
Conspiracy to attack energy facilities is punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Greenwood pleaded guilty to the charge in U.S. District Court on April 28.
"Prosecutors have agreed to recommend the low end of the guidelines range when Greenwood is sentenced," according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office. "Since his arrest, Greenwood has been in intensive drug treatment while awaiting resolution in this case."
Crahan remains charged with conspiracy to attack energy facilities. The FBI is investigating the case along with ATF, and other local, state and federal authorities.