Tacoma men charged with damaging Portland substations, stealing firearms

A federal grand jury in Portland has indicted Zachary Rosenthal, a 33-year-old man from Tacoma, on charges of damaging two energy facilities in the Portland area.

According to the indictment, he allegedly damaged the Ostrander Substation in Oregon City and the Sunnyside Substation in Clackamas on November 24 and 28, 2022, with the intent to disrupt their functions.

The indictment claims Rosenthal caused over $100,000 in damage to the Ostrander Substation and $5,000 to the Sunnyside Substation.

Nathaniel Adam Cheney, 30, from Centralia, was also charged for his alleged involvement in the damage to the Sunnyside Substation on November 28, 2022.

In addition to the charges related to the energy facilities, Rosenthal is also facing charges of stealing firearms and illegally possessing firearms as a convicted felon.

The second indictment alleges that in January 2023, Rosenthal stole 24 firearms from a Portland area federal firearms licensee.

On Wednesday, Rosenthal appeared in federal court and was arraigned on both indictments. He pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Cheney made his first federal court appearance on April 10, 2023. He was arraigned, pleaded not guilty, and released on conditions pending a two-day jury trial scheduled for August 20.

Damaging an energy facility with damages exceeding $100,000 is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison and three years of supervised release.

Damaging an energy facility with damages over $5,000 can result in up to five years in federal prison and three years of supervised release.