WASHINGTON, D.C. — A New Jersey man has pleaded guilty to bringing dozens of homemade explosive devices to a Washington church preparing for a ceremony marking the start of the Supreme Court term.
Louis Geri of Vineland, New Jersey, admitted Thursday in federal court to illegal possession of a destructive device and extortion by wrongful use of force.
Authorities arrested Geri on Oct. 5 outside St. Matthew’s Cathedral in Washington, D.C., where police were securing the area ahead of the annual Red Mass. The ceremony traditionally marks the beginning of the Supreme Court’s term and is sometimes attended by justices.
Court records show Geri set up a tent on the church steps the night before the event and remained there with more than 100 explosive devices. Prosecutors said he also carried a nine-page list of demands directed at the federal government, the Supreme Court, and the church.
Investigators said Geri threatened violence if his demands were not met. According to court filings, he told police that “several of your people are gonna die” if negotiations did not occur.
Among the demands listed were requests for money, a flight to Japan, and the removal of Arizona from the United States.
Geri remains in custody and is scheduled to be sentenced July 27. Prosecutors and defense attorneys recommended a prison sentence ranging from roughly six to seven years, though the judge is not required to follow that agreement.
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