The son of the Boston police captain is sentenced to 20 years in jail for ISIS-inspired terror plot

The son of a Boston police captain was sentenced this week to 20 years in prison for planning a series of terrorist attacks that, according to federal prosecutors, were inspired by the state. Islamic.

Alexander Ciccolo was arrested in July 2015 after his father, a veteran police officer, warned the authorities of his son's interest in the terrorist group.

Undercover agents and witnesses cooperating with the FBI began to correspond with Ciccolo, who revealed his intention to attack several overcrowded places in New Mexico, including a university, a police station and a "gay friendly bar."

Ciccolo, now 26 years old, was finally detained after an undercover operation during which he asked for and accepted several firearms from an FBI witness – a criminal offense. criminal case for a previous conviction. When officers searched Ciccolo's apartment, they found several partially manufactured Molotov cocktails, filled with "Styrofoam and shredded engine oil," according to NBC News. Prosecutors later said that this tactic was used to make devices "stuck to people's skin and make it more difficult to extinguish fire."

Two machetes, a long curved knife and a pressure cooker similar to that used during the Boston Marathon bombings were also discovered in Ciccolo's house. Described by prosecutors as a "committed soldier" of the Islamic State, Ciccolo would have been inspired by the marathon bombers, reported NPR.

In May, Ciccolo pleaded guilty to providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization, attempting to use weapons of mass destruction, illegally possessing firearms, and assaulting a nurse during a mass murder process. 'imprisonment.

On Wednesday, US District Court Judge Mark Mastroianni in Springfield, Massachusetts, sentenced Ciccolo to two decades in prison and a life of probation for his crimes.

"Alexander Ciccolo has planned to kill innocent civilians in the United States on behalf of the Islamic State," said Andrew Lelling, the Massachusetts Massachusetts attorney, in a statement following the sentencing. "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 American compatriots."

"Thanks to the tireless investigation and rapid response of our law enforcement partners, Ciccolo has not been able to carry out its violent plan," Lelling said. "The sentence handed down today reflects our commitment to bring to justice all those whose allegiance lies with the terrorists."

Federal prosecutors also acknowledged the critical role played by Ciccolo's father, Robert Ciccolo, in arresting Alexander.

"The government recognizes that Captain Ciccolo's decision to come forward has been heartbreaking," federal prosecutors said in a sentencing memorandum filed last week, adding that he "would probably have saved the lives of many innocent people" .

Ciccolo's father, who served 35 years in the police and supervised more than two dozen agents during the Boston marathon attack, has not spoken publicly about his son's arrest or conviction, according to the AP. In the court documents, Ciccolo's lawyers quoted his father as saying he did not think his son was capable of following through on the planned attacks.