The key facts

  • 21-year-old Alexander Scott Mercurio was sentenced to 18 years in prison and lifetime supervision
  • He planned to incapacitate his father, take his firearms, and attack Idaho churches on behalf of ISIS
  • The arrest took place on April 6, 2024, one day before the planned attack

Sentence and Circumstances of the Case

A US court has sentenced 21-year-old Alexander Scott Mercurio of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, to 18 years in prison and lifetime supervision for attempting to support the Islamic State and planning attacks on churches. The US Department of Justice announced this. Mercurio pleaded guilty to terrorism.

What Was Planned and How the Attack Was Prevented

According to the Department of Justice, Mercurio intended to incapacitate his father with a metal pipe, take his firearms, and use them to carry out a mass killing of churchgoers in Idaho on behalf of ISIS; explosives, knives, and machetes were also part of the plan. A search of his home found gas canisters, lighters, handcuffs, a knife, a machete, and several of his father's weapons. A few days before the planned attack, the young man stood in front of an ISIS flag with a knife in his hand and pledged allegiance to the organization. The FBI arrested him on April 6, 2024 — one day before the attack.

Positions of the Parties

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for National Security M. Scott Proctor stated that the sentence demonstrates the Department of Justice's readiness to 'tirelessly investigate, prosecute, and hold accountable' those who seek to terrorize Americans for exercising their religious rights. The defense requested nine years in prison, describing the defendant as a depressed young man from a troubled family who had already abandoned extremist views by the time of his arrest; the prosecution sought a harsher sentence. The court imposed 18 years.