FBI Announces Arrest of Idaho Man in Planned ISIS-Inspired Attack on Churches

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) on Saturday arrested an 18-year-old man in Idaho after foiling his plan to attack individuals at churches on behalf of ISIS, the US Department of Justice announced in a press release Monday.

Alexander Scott Mercurio of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, was arrested after an FBI investigation determined he had pledged his allegiance to ISIS and had been collecting guns and knives with which to attack individuals at churches in Coeur d’Alene on April 7.

Charged with “attempting to provide material support or resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization,” Mercurio faces a maximum prison sentence of 20 years if convicted. He is currently in custody, and waiting to appear in court.

“As alleged in the complaint, the defendant swore an oath of loyalty to ISIS and planned to wage an attack in its name on churches in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho,” Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said in a statement in the DOJ press release.

“Thanks to the investigative efforts of the FBI, the defendant was taken into custody before he could act, and he is now charged with attempting to support ISIS’s mission of terror and violence.”

Special Agent in Charge Shohini Sinha of the Salt Lake City FBI added in the press statement: “This case should be an eye-opener to the dangers of self-radicalization, which is a real threat to our communities. Protecting the American people from terrorism remains the FBI’s number one priority, and we continue to encourage the public to report anything suspicious to the FBI or your local law enforcement.”

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