An Idaho man gets 18 years in prison for an Islamic State support plot

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — An Idaho man has been sentenced to 18 years in federal prison for attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State group.Alexander Scott Mercurio, 21, pleaded guilty to the federal terrorism charge last month. U.S. District Judge David C. Nye sentenced him Tuesday and said Mercurio would be placed on lifetime supervised release after completing his prison term.Prosecutors said Mercurio had pledged his allegiance to IS and planned to attack churches in Coeur d'Alene on the group's behalf, using explosives, knives, firearms and other weapons. He was arrested by the FBI on April 6, 2024, one day before the planned attack, according to prosecutors.Idaho U.S. Attorney John Shirts said the sentence “sends the clear message that where individuals intend to pursue acts of terrorism against the United States — whether in Coeur d'Alene, or any other community — they will be brought to justice.”Mercurio's defense attorneys, Carter Powers Beggs and J. Stephen Roberts