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Brandon Clint Russell (born July 1, 1995) is a Bahamian and American Neo-Nazi leader, terrorist and the founder of the neo-Nazi group Atomwaffen Division in 2013.
In September 2017, Russell pleaded guilty in federal court to possessing an unregistered destructive device and illegally storing explosives; in January 2018, he was sentenced to five years in prison, but was later released from prison in August 2021. In February 2023 he was indicted for planning attacks on electric substations in Baltimore.
Russell created contacts with American and international neo-Nazis and in an October 2015 post on Iron March, he announced the formation of Atomwaffen Division, which had been three years in the making. He stated that Atomwaffen was for very fanatical, ideological people who do military training, absolutely "no keyboard warriors". Dozens responded to the thread, which stated they had 40 members across the U.S., mostly in Florida.
Russell visited Atomwaffen's ideological comrades, National Action, in the United Kingdom. He also went to meet with the leaderships of Golden Dawn, Nordic Resistance Movement, Russian Imperial Movement and CasaPound in a neo-Nazi event in the Russian Federation in 2015.
The FBI issued an arrest warrant for Russell on explosives charges and the FBI bulletin warned he might be planning a terrorist attack. Russell was arrested again with another member in Monroe County, Florida. The car they were driving contained assault rifles, body armor and more than 1000 rounds of ammunition which they had acquired after the shooting. Russell claimed the explosives were used to power model rockets, but according to an FBI bomb technician the explosives were powerful enough to destroy an airliner. The prosecutors alleged Russell "planned to use the explosives to harm civilians, nuclear facilities and synagogues."
In September 2017, Russell pleaded guilty in federal court to possessing an unregistered destructive device and illegally storing explosives; in January 2018, he was sentenced to five years in prison. While in jail awaiting sentencing, he sent bomb-making instructions to his followers. While less than six months into his five-year sentence he issued a statement recorded inside United States Penitentiary in Atlanta. Russell thanked his comrades for their "undying loyalty and courage," and issued a warning: "There is no room in this world for cowardly people... The sword has been drawn. There is no turning back." On a separate occasion Russell also stated "I don't care how long you put me in jail, your Honor … as soon as I get out, I will go right back to fight for my White Race and my America!'" He was released from prison on August 23, 2021.
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