Man gets 6 years in prison for taking explosives to church hosting annual Red Mass for justices

WASHINGTON (AP) — A New Jersey man was sentenced on Monday to nearly six years in prison for taking homemade explosive devices to a Washington, D.C., church that was preparing for an annual Mass celebrating the start of the Supreme Court’s term.

Louis Geri declined to address the court before U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss sentenced him to five years and 10 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release.

Moss said he balanced the danger that Geri poses to the public with the defendant’s history of “very serious mental health issues” and his need for adequate treatment.

“This was an extremely serious offense,” the judge said. “It may have been carried out in a bizarre manner, but the threat of violence was a serious one.”

Geri was arrested on Oct. 5, 2025, outside the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle, where police officers were clearing the area before the annual Red Mass. Police said they found in Geri’s possession paperwork that expressed “significant animosity” toward the Roman Catholic Church, Jewish people and the Supreme Court. Some justices usually attend the celebration, but none went to last year’s ceremony.

On steps outside the church, Geri had set up a tent containing more than 100 homemade explosives along with a nine-page “list of written demands,” according to a court filing. Geri told police that he had explosive devices and said “several of your people are gonna die from one of these” if his demands weren’t met, the filing says.

Geri’s written demands included requests for money, for an “expatriation flight” to Japan and for the Supreme Court to remove Arizona from the United States.

“The defendant’s intent was clear: If his list of demands was not met, innocent people would die and prominent, historic landmarks, such as the Washington Monument, the Supreme Court, and the White House, would be destroyed,” prosecutors wrote.

Geri’s attorney said the Vineland, New Jersey, native, who had traveled to Washington from Arkansas, was diagnosed with bipolar disorder more than two decades ago and had stopped taking his medication in the months leading up to his arrest outside the church.

“His conduct was the product of a treatable medical condition spiraling out of control, not malice or an actual intent to harm,” defense attorney Elizabeth Mullin wrote.

Geri pleaded guilty in March to two felony counts: illegal possession of a destructive device and extortion by wrongful use of force, violence or fear.

Geri and prosecutors agreed that a prison term ranging from five years and 10 months to seven years and three months would be appropriate. Moss wasn’t bound by that recommendation, but Geri could have withdrawn his guilty plea if the judge had imposed a longer sentence.

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