Cameron Monte Smith, 50, a Canadian citizen, was sentenced today to 150 months in prison per count, to be served consecutively, for two counts of destroying an energy facility — one incident in the District of North Dakota and another in the District of South Dakota. Smith was also ordered to pay $2.1 million in restitution.
According to court documents, on Sept. 11, 2024, Smith pleaded guilty to the two offenses where he admitted to damaging the Wheelock Substation, located near Ray, North Dakota, in an amount exceeding $100,000, in May 2023. The Wheelock substation is operated by Mountrail-Williams Electric Cooperative and Basin Electric Power Cooperative.
Smith also admitted to damaging a transformer and pumpstation of the Keystone Pipeline located near Carpenter, South Dakota, in an amount exceeding $100,000, in July 2022. Smith damaged the Wheelock substation and the Keystone Pipeline equipment by firing multiple rounds from a high-power rifle into the equipment resulting in disruption of electric services to the North Dakota customers and resulting in disruption of the Keystone Pipeline in South Dakota.
Sue Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division; Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer Klemetsrud Puhl for the District of North Dakota; U.S. Attorney Alison Ramsdell for the District of South Dakota; and Assistant Director David J. Scott of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division made the announcement.
The FBI investigated the case with valuable assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Williams County (North Dakota) Sheriff’s Office, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, the Clark County (South Dakota) Sheriff’s Department, and the Beadle County (South Dakota) Sheriff’s Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys David D. Hagler and Jonathan J. O’Konek for the District of South Dakota, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy Jehangiri for the District of North Dakota, and Trial Attorneys Jacob Warren and Justin Sher of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section prosecuted the case.
Not enough time and they will never get that amount in restitution.
And, the fat bastard has the smug, defiant look in his booking photo. Won’t be so smug after he gets to prison…
If that electric company is anything like PG&E they probably had it coming.
Start a rumor in prison that he’s a pedo…
…the inmates will take care of him.
Who was he working for? Who paid him? Aren’t any lone wolves on the left.
His prison sentence should have forbidden him the use of any electric devices of any kind with the exception of one overhead light bulb, 25 Watt or equivalent.
12 and a half years and not a day for those peacefully protesting while setting fires, fighting the police, and looting.
The arson, riots, looting, and sabotage while never end as long as there are zero consequences. Prison time for the perps AND the paymasters.
Did he overstay his visa? Was he here legally?
If he was sentenced to prison for 25 years, why is he only serving half of his prison sentence of 12 and a half years?