PORTLAND, Ore. — A Tacoma man faces federal charges after a 2022 attack on two substations in the Portland metro that caused more than $100,000 in damages.
A federal grand jury in Portland charged 33-year-old Zachary Rosenthal with three counts of damaging an energy facility, which can carry up to 20 years in federal prison when damages exceed $100,000, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office District of Oregon.
According to the indictment, Rosenthal is accused of "knowingly and willfully" damaging two energy facilities, the Ostrander Substation in Oregon City and the Sunnyside Substation in Clackamas, with the intent of "interrupting or impairing" both places.
In a span of four days in November 2022 around Thanksgiving, Rosenthal caused more than $100,000 in damages to the Ostrander Substation and $5,000 to the Sunnyside Substation.
30-year-old Nathanial Adam Cheney of Centralia was named as an accomplice to the Ostrander Substation attack. He pleaded not guilty in an arraignment in April 2023 and was released on conditions pending a jury trial, scheduled for August 20.
Rosenthal is also charged with stealing firearms and illegally possessing firearms as a convicted felon, federal prosecutors said. In January 2023, Rosenthal is alleged to have stolen 24 firearms from a person in the Portland metro.
In a court appearance on Tuesday, Rosenthal pleaded not guilty to all charges. He has been detained pending further court hearings.
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