COEUR D’ALENE, ID- Suspected domestic terrorist 18-year-old Alexander Mercurio made his first appearance in U.S. federal court on Wednesday.
Mercurio was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Intelligence (FBI) on Saturday, which was the day before he was allegedly plotting to carry out an attack on churches in Coeur d’Alene in the name of ISIS.
He was indicted by a federal grand jury Tuesday and is charged with Count 1 Attempt to Provide Material Support to a Designated Foreign Terrorist Organization.
Mercurio pleaded not guilty to the charge.
If convicted, Mercurio is facing up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
At his first appearance Wednesday, Mercurio was present in the court room. He offered monotone but somewhat irritated responses when called on by the judge.
Mercurio’s federal public defender said he did not know an indictment had been filed Tuesday, telling the court that no one provided him notice.
The court took a short recess so the defense could view that indictment.
Court documents obtained by NonStop Local Tuesday show Mercurio allegedly devised a plan where he would attack a church–or churches– and churchgoers using knives, batons and that he would burn the church to the ground.
A federal grand jury found enough evidence of that for an indictment.
Mercurio’s jury trial begins May 28 at 1:30 p.m.
He will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshall until his trial.
