Washington Man Pleads Guilty in 2022 Attack on Oregon Power Grid
The Washington resident admitted to causing $26,000 in damage at a Clackamas County substation and faces up to five years in federal prison.
A Centralia, Washington man has pleaded guilty to damaging an Oregon power substation during a 2022 attack that caused significant equipment damage.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon, Nathaniel Cheney, 31, pleaded guilty to one count of damaging an energy facility. Prosecutors say that on November 28, 2022, Cheney and others caused approximately $26,000 in damage to the Sunnyside substation in Clackamas, Oregon by damaging essential control equipment.
A federal grand jury indicted Cheney in March 2024.
Under federal sentencing guidelines, Cheney faces a maximum of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release. His sentencing is scheduled for February 18, 2026, before a U.S. District Court Judge.
As part of the plea agreement, Cheney has agreed to pay restitution in full as recommended by federal prosecutors.
The investigation was led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Parakram Singh and Geoffrey Barrow.