WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — A resident of Massachusetts has been charged for planning to engage in terrorist acts for the ISIL at large gathering in the United States, the US Department of Justice said in a release on Monday.
“An Adams, Massachusetts, man has been arrested and charged in connection with a plot to engage in terrorism on behalf of ISIL,” the release read.
A criminal complaint charging 23-year-old Alexander Ciccolo with being a felon in possession of a firearm was opened today, according to the Justice Department.
Ciccolo, a son of a Boston police captain, was arrested July 4, 2015, in connection with alleged ISIL-inspired plots to use weapons on crowds in large gatherings, including college cafeterias.
Ciccolo was immediately arrested upon receiving the weapons. He has been previously convicted of a crime punishable by more than a year in jail and prohibited firearm use.
The Justice Department noted that Ciccolo is suspected of being a supporter of the ISIL because of a conversation with a cooperating witness about his plans to commit acts of terrorism after federal agents allegedly found Molotov cocktails in Ciccolo’s apartment.
A detention hearing is set on Tuesday afternoon at the US District Court in Springfield, Massachusetts.
The charge of felon in possession of firearms carries a sentence of no more than ten years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000.
