Police Captain’s Son Sentenced for ISIS-Inspired Terror Attack – By Mary Lou Lang (freebeacon.com) / Sept 5 2018
The son of a Boston police captain was sentenced on Wednesday for plotting an ISIS-inspired terror attack which included using a pressure cooker bomb similar to the one used in the Boston Marathon bombing.
Alexander Ciccolo, aka Ali Al Amriki, 26, the son of a Boston Police captain, was sentenced to 20 years in prison and a lifetime of supervised release for planning to engage in terrorist activity, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Ciccolo pleaded guilty in May to one count of attempting to provide material support to a terrorist organization and one count of attempting to use weapons of mass destruction. He also pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm while being a convicted person and assaulting a nurse.
“Alexander Ciccolo planned to kill innocent civilians in the United States on ISIS’s behalf,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling. “Even though he was born and spent most of his life in Massachusetts, Ciccolo decided to turn against his country and plotted to attack his fellow Americans. Thanks to the tireless investigation and swift response of our law enforcement partners, Ciccolo was unable to carry out his violent plan. The sentence handed down today reflects our commitment to bringing all those whose allegiance lies with terrorists to justice.”
According to the FBI Boston field office, Ciccolo had a clear understanding of what his plans were and repeatedly indicated he wanted to engage in jihad against the United States.
“Make no mistake, Alexander Ciccolo was a committed soldier of ISIS who wanted to kill innocent people at a United States university with assault rifles and pressure cooker bombs, not an unwitting dupe who didn’t understand the gravity of what he was doing,” said Harold Shaw, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Boston Field Office.
“He repeatedly expressed his desire to engage in acts of violent jihad against our country, and with this sentencing, he will now pay the price for conspiring with a foreign terrorist organization,” said Shaw.
As previously reported, Ciccolo planned to set off improvised explosive devices including pressure cookers filled with black powder, nails, ball bearings, and glass in several locations including a university cafeteria where large numbers of people congregate.
A pressure cooker and several partially constructed Molotov cocktails were found in Ciccolo’s apartment when searched. His father tipped off law enforcement authorities after his son indicated he wanted to join ISIS.
https://freebeacon.com/national-security/police-captains-son-sentenced-isis-inspired-terror-attack/
