Idaho Man Sentenced to 18 Years for ISIS-inspired Church Attack Plot

Alexander Scott Mercurio pledged allegiance to ISIS days before a planned mass casualty attack on Idaho churches, Ynetnews reported.

U.S. District Judge David C. Nye of the District of Idaho sentenced the 21-year-old Coeur d’Alene resident to 18 years in federal prison and lifetime supervised release. Court records show Mercurio planned to incapacitate his father with a metal pipe, take his firearms, and carry out the assault using flame-covered weapons, explosives, knives, and a machete.

Federal authorities arrested Mercurio on April 6, 2024, exactly one day before his intended operation. A search of his home uncovered butane canisters, lighters, handcuffs, a knife, a machete, and several firearms belonging to his father, according to the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Public Affairs.

The Path to Arrest

Before his arrest, Mercurio built an online repository in early 2023 for pro-ISIS content designed to spread Islamic State doctrine. Days before the scheduled church attacks, he stood before an ISIS flag, held a knife, and pledged his allegiance to the terrorist group.

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for National Security M. Scott Proctor noted the severity of the thwarted plot. America’s founders wanted our Nation to be a place where the faithful of any denomination could exercise their religious beliefs freely and without fear of violence, Proctor said, as reported by the Department of Justice.

Investigative Response

The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force led the investigation with assistance from local law enforcement agencies. Investigators from the Coeur d’Alene Police Department, the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office, and the Ada County Sheriff’s Office contributed to the case.

Protecting our communities from terrorist activity is always the number one priority of this office and the Department of Justice, U.S. Attorney John C. Shirts for the District of Idaho stated in the federal announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Heather S. Patricco and David G. Robins prosecuted the case alongside Trial Attorney Matthew R. Hracho of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.

Mercurio Receives 18-Year Sentence for ISIS Allegiance and Attack Plans

With today’s sentencing, this individual is being held accountable for pledging allegiance to ISIS and planning an attack on U.S. soil, Assistant Director Jarod Brown of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division said.

Mercurio will serve his 18-year sentence in federal custody followed by lifetime supervised release.