Idaho Man Sentenced to 18 Years for Plotting ISIS-Inspired Church Attacks

An Idaho man faces 18 years for ISIS-inspired church attack plot

Alexander Scott Mercurio, a 21-year-old from Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, has been sentenced to 18 years in federal prison for attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, the U.S. Department of Justice reported.

U.S. District Judge David C. Nye also ordered a lifetime of supervised release for Mercurio following his conviction. The sentencing follows a detailed investigation into a plot that targeted local religious institutions.

A planned assault on religious freedom

Court records reveal that Mercurio intended to carry out a mass casualty attack against churches in Idaho while acting in the name of ISIS. To facilitate the violence, he planned to incapacitate his own father using a metal pipe so he could seize his father’s firearms.

According to the Department of Justice, he planned to use flame-covered weapons, explosives, knives, and a machete during the attacks. When authorities searched his residence, they found several firearms belonging to his father, along with butane canisters, lighters, handcuffs, a knife, and a machete.

Days before the intended violence, Mercurio stood before an ISIS flag holding a knife and pledged his allegiance to the group. His involvement with the organization extended to the internet; in early 2023, he created an online repository designed to spread ISIS doctrine.

Federal agents intervened just before the violence could begin. The FBI arrested Mercurio on April 6, 2024, exactly one day before his planned attack was set to occur.

“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,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for National Security M. Scott Proctor.

Law enforcement and the cost of terror

The investigation was a multi-agency effort. The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force led the case with assistance from the Coeur d’Alene Police Department, the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office, and the Ada County Sheriff’s Office.

Legal proceedings were handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Heather S. Patricco and David G. Robins for the District of Idaho, alongside Trial Attorney Matthew R. Hracho from the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.

U.S. Attorney John C. Shirts for the District of Idaho emphasized the priority of the office in preventing such domestic threats. He noted that the sentencing serves as a message that individuals intending to pursue terrorism will be brought to justice, regardless of whether they operate in Coeur d’Alene or other communities.

Assistant Director Jarod Brown of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division stated that the bureau works to detect and prevent these acts to protect the American people, noting that Mercurio is being held accountable for both his pledge of allegiance and his specific plans for violence on U.S. soil.

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