A federal grand jury recently indicted Zachary Rosenthal, a former Tacoma resident, on charges of conspiracy to destroy energy facilities and multiple counts of destruction or attempted destruction of energy facilities. Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller announced the indictment, which details Rosenthal's alleged involvement in attacks on six power substations across south and southwest Washington between June and December 2022. Rosenthal, currently serving time in the Washington State Department of Corrections for vehicular assault, was previously indicted in Oregon for similar charges involving energy facilities in Portland, with a trial set for November 3, 2025.
The Washington indictment accuses Rosenthal of damaging power substations in various counties, including Lewis, Cowlitz, Pierce, Thurston, and Grays Harbor. The indictment specifies that Rosenthal and his alleged coconspirators targeted these facilities using methods such as gunshots, smashing equipment, and employing heavy chains to create short circuits. The attacks led to power outages affecting between 1,000 and 6,000 customers per incident.
Authorities believe the motivation behind these incidents was to enable burglaries of businesses and ATMs during power outages when alarm systems may be down. The charges against Rosenthal also include an attempted attack on the Oakville substation in Grays Harbor County.
In Oregon, Rosenthal is accused of energy facility attacks occurring in the same timeframe as those in Washington, specifically on November 24 and 28, 2022. A conviction for intentionally damaging an energy facility to significantly interrupt its function carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison, along with three years of supervised release.
"The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations," with Rosenthal presumed innocent until proven guilty in court. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is leading the investigation, and the prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Todd Greenberg.
