Jeremy Crahan, Substation Vandalism, Washington 2022

Pierce County Man Gets 18 Months for Substation Attack

A 40-year-old Pierce County man has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for vandalizing electrical substations in Washington state. Jeremy Crahan, 40, pleaded guilty in September 2023 to his role in a conspiracy to knock out power to rob ATM machines.

According to the facts in the plea agreement, Crahan and his co-defendant Matthew Greenwood hatched a scheme to disrupt power so they could break into ATMs and businesses and steal money. On December 25, 2022, they damaged four substations, leaving thousands of people in the cold and dark in the middle of winter.

The attack on the Hemlock Substation in Puyallup, Washington, owned by Puget Sound Energy, resulted in a power outage affecting 8,000 customers. The men also damaged substations in Spanaway, Graham, and Kapowsin, causing a total of over $235,000 in damage.

Crahan shared in the planning and primarily served as a lookout during the attacks on the substations. Following the December 25, 2022, substation vandalism, the men spent time looking for additional ways to cause power outages by felling trees.

However, law enforcement arrested them before they could put the tree plan into action. 'Power stations are a key part of our community, and they are key infrastructure,' said Chief U.S. District Judge David G. Estudillo. 'Our reliance on this infrastructure cannot be overstated, especially in the dead of winter. Causing damage to key infrastructure is not tolerable.'

'These defendants launched a scheme that left thousands of people in the cold and dark in the middle of winter,' said Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. 'A scheme that was dangerous – for them and for the workers that had to make repairs to the high voltage equipment.'

Jeremy Crahan, 40, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for his role in the substation vandalism. He pleaded guilty in September 2023 and is expected to begin serving his sentence immediately.

The case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from the Pierce County Sheriff's Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), the Tacoma Police Department, the Washington State Department of Corrections, and the Federal Protective Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Todd Greenberg.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdwa/pr/first-two-defendants-sentenced-prison-christmas-day-2022-attack-power-substations