On March 10, 2025, Cameron Monte Smith, a Canadian citizen aged 50, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Daniel M. Traynor to 25 years in federal prison for the destruction of energy facilities in North Dakota and South Dakota. The sentence includes three years of supervised release and an order to pay $2,124,974.38 in restitution.
Smith had previously pleaded guilty on September 11, 2024, admitting to causing damage exceeding $100,000 at the Wheelock Substation near Ray, North Dakota in May 2023. This facility is operated by Mountrail-Williams Electric Cooperative and Basin Electric Power Cooperative. He also confessed to damaging a transformer and pump station of the Keystone Pipeline near Carpenter, South Dakota in July 2022.
Jennifer Klemetsrud Puhl, Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of North Dakota stated: “This sentence serves as a reminder that the Department of Justice will use all its resources to investigate and aggressively prosecute any attack on our critical civilian infrastructures.” She commended law enforcement partners for their efforts in bringing Smith to justice.
Alison J. Ramsdell, U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota remarked: "This substantial sentence reflects the commitment...to relentlessly investigate, prosecute, and hold to account persons...who intentionally seek to disrupt or destroy our nation's critical energy infrastructure."
Travis S. Riddle from ATF St. Paul Field Division noted that as a Canadian citizen Smith was barred from possessing firearms in the U.S., highlighting exceptions such as hunting which did not apply here: “Mr. Smith chose to illegally possess a firearm and ammunition to attack U.S. infrastructure.”
Special Agent Alvin M. Winston Sr., FBI Minneapolis emphasized: "Attacks on our critical infrastructure threaten the security and daily lives of all Americans." The FBI remains committed to protecting essential infrastructure with ongoing collaboration with partners.
The case was investigated by multiple agencies including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Williams County Sheriff’s Office (ND), South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation among others. Prosecution was led by Assistant U.S Attorneys David D Hagler Jonathan J O’Konek Jeremy Jehangiri along with Trial Attorneys Jacob Warren Justin Sher from National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
