Idaho Teen Allegedly Devoted to ISIS Arrested Before Planned Church Attacks
An Idaho teenager who allegedly plotted to carry out attacks targeting local churches in the name of ISIS was arrested over the weekend, the Justice Department said.
Alexander Scott Mercurio, 18, of Coeur d’Alene, was taken into custody on Saturday following an FBI investigation—he now faces a charge of attempting to provide material support and resources to ISIS. A criminal complaint alleges that Mercurio had plotted to attack several churches in Coeur d’Alene on Sunday using guns, knives, and fire.
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“The defendant allegedly pledged loyalty to ISIS and sought to attack people attending churches in Idaho, a truly horrific plan which was detected and thwarted by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force,” FBI Director Christopher Wray said in a statement.
Shohini Sinha, the special agent in charge of the FBI’s Salt Lake City office, said the case “should be an eye-opener to the dangers of self-radicalization, which is a real threat to our communities.”
Mercurio could face a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison if convicted.
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