US News

Alexander Mercurio sentenced to 18 years over Islamic State plot

A federal judge imposed the sentence on Alexander Mercurio, whom prosecutors say planned an attack on Coeur d'Alene churches.

Published Nov 11, 2026 · 11:44 UTC2 reports

The short version

Alexander Mercurio was sentenced to 18 years in federal prison for attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State group, followed by lifetime supervised release.[ABC News · Associated Press]
Prosecutors said Mercurio pledged allegiance to IS and planned an attack on churches in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, before the FBI arrested him on April 6, 2024.[ABC News · Associated Press]
Defense attorneys described him as a depressed teen and asked for nine years, saying he has renounced extremist views and is assessed as low risk.[ABC News · Associated Press]

Alexander Mercurio was sentenced to 18 years in federal prison for attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State group.[ABC News · Associated Press]
U.S. District Judge David C. Nye imposed lifetime supervised release to follow Mercurio's prison term.[ABC News · Associated Press]
Prosecutors said Mercurio pledged allegiance to IS and planned an attack on churches in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.[ABC News · Associated Press]
The FBI arrested Mercurio on April 6, 2024, one day before the planned attack, according to prosecutors.[ABC News · Associated Press]
Defense attorneys described Mercurio in a court document as a depressed teen raised in a dysfunctional family that exposed him to white supremacist ideology.[ABC News · Associated Press]
Defense attorneys asked the judge for a nine-year sentence and said Mercurio has renounced his extremist views and been assessed as a low risk of future danger.[ABC News · Associated Press]

Mercurio's renounced views and low-risk assessment are attributed to his attorneys and are not independently confirmed in the reporting.[ABC News · Associated Press]
The planned attack on Coeur d'Alene churches is prosecutors' account and is not described in the reporting as independently established.[ABC News · Associated Press]

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.