Two charged in Christmas Day attacks on Washington substations that cut power to 14,000

Officials say the two men cut power so a planned burglary would be easier to pull off.

From KING-5 TV News:

Two men have been charged in the Christmas Day attacks on four power substations near Tacoma, Washington, that left about 14,000 homes and businesses without power, officials said Tuesday.

While federal authorities have long said the country’s power grid is vulnerable to terrorists domestic and foreign, the suspects may have been motivated by the spoils of burglary, prosecutors said.

Matthew Greenwood, 32, and Jeremy Crahan, 40, both of nearby Puyallup, were planning to rob a business, which would have been made easier with electricity unavailable for security, cameras, lighting and other elements, federal prosecutors said

They said the men carried out the burglary during the power outage, according to court documents.

+ The Olympian: ‘Just desperate.’ Judge orders man accused in Pierce substation attacks held without bail