Alexander Scott Mercurio, a 21 year old resident of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, was sentenced on Tuesday, November 11, 2026, to 18 years in federal prison. The US Justice Department announced that he also received a term of lifetime supervised release. Mercurio was convicted of attempting to provide material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization.
The sentencing marks the conclusion of a case that began with his arrest in early 2024. Mercurio pleaded guilty in October 2025 after law enforcement presented evidence that he had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State in the days leading up to his planned attack. While the criminal complaint cited both the attack plan and financial support as probable cause, the only specific charge filed was for providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization. He was not charged with a separate offense related to the attack itself.
According to an FBI affidavit, Mercurio intended to stage a mass casualty attack on churches in his hometown in the name of ISIS. His detailed plan involved incapacitating his father with a metal pipe and restraining him with handcuffs to access the man’s firearms. He intended to use these weapons, along with explosives, knives, a machete, and flame covered weapons, to strike multiple targets.
The investigation into Mercurio began in 2021 as part of a broader FBI probe into a fundraising network. This network used cryptocurrency exchanges and financial platforms to raise and launder money for terrorist groups in Syria, including ISIS. The funds were ultimately routed to a member of the group, referred to by the FBI as individual 2, who was a resident of Gaza and is believed to have died.
Mercurio’s contact with the FBI started in 2022 when he was 17 years old. Much of his communication, both online and in person, was with individuals he believed were fellow ISIS supporters but who were actually FBI informants. He also corresponded with a covert FBI employee online. In early 2023, he created an online repository for pro ISIS content to spread the group’s doctrine.
His plans escalated in early 2024. In a message dated late March 2024, Mercurio wrote, I don’t know how much longer I can take being here. I don’t have the desire to do anything except jihad, a craving for mayhem and terror. Days later, he outlined his strategy to an informant, describing a plan to lie to his father, record a pledge video, delete his social media, and storm the nearest church to kill as many people as possible before burning the building.
He intended to repeat this process for all 21 or more churches in the town until he was killed. Mercurio stated, I don’t want to miss out on jihad in Ramadan. The holy month in 2024 began on March 10 and ended on April 9. He chose April 7 as the attack date to ensure it occurred before the end of Ramadan.
In the final weeks before the planned strike, Mercurio told informants he was purchasing equipment such as lighters and propane. An informant drove him to a hardware store where he bought the metal pipe intended for use against his father. He also displayed a Smith and Wesson knife. He planned to donate his savings of approximately $11,000 to ISIS via cryptocurrency.
Days before the scheduled attack, the 18 year old Mercurio stood before an ISIS flag holding a knife to pledge his allegiance. On April 6, 2024, one day before the planned operation, FBI agents executed a search warrant at his residence. They seized incriminating evidence and arrested him on probable cause.
Assistant Director Jarod Brown of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division stated that the sentencing holds the individual accountable for pledging allegiance to ISIS and planning an attack on US soil. John C. Shirts, the US Attorney for the District of Idaho, added that the decision sends a clear message that those who intend to pursue acts of terrorism against the United States will be brought to justice.
