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Former Anti-Nuclear Peace Activist Sentenced For Plotting ISIS-Inspired Attacks

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Neetu Arnold Contributor
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A former anti-nuclear peace activist from the U.S. was sentenced to 20 years in prison along with a lifetime of supervised release Wednesday after plotting to enact Islamic State-inspired terrorist activities, according to the Department of Justice.

Alexander Ciccolo, 26 and also known as Ali Al Amriki, of Adams, Massachusetts, was arrested in 2015 after purchasing four firearms that would have been used for a terrorist act, according to a DOJ press release.

Ciccolo was not allowed to possess guns after he was convicted of a drunk driving case, The Associated Press reported.

Prior to the arrest for possessing guns, officials found that Ciccolo bought a pressure cooker similar to one used in the Boston Marathon bombings in 2013.

“Ciccolo had spoken with a cooperating witness in recorded conversations about his plans to commit acts of terrorism inspired by ISIS, including setting off improvised explosive devices, such as pressure cookers filled with black powder, nails, ball bearings and glass, in places where large numbers of people congregate, like college cafeterias,” the DOJ press release said.

Ciccolo also left a bloody gash on a nurse’s head after stabbing her with a pen multiple times as he was being processed at the Franklin County Correctional Center after his arrest, according to the DOJ.

“Ciccolo has been detained since his arrest in 2015,” the DOJ reported.

He pleaded guilty in May for attempting to give a foreign terrorist organization material support, attempting to use weapons for mass destruction, possessing guns while he was convicted and assaulting the nurse. (RELATED: American Couple Dies Tragically While Biking Through ISIS Territory Trying To Prove Evil Does Not Exist)

The FBI first became aware of Ciccolo after Boston police Capt. Robert Ciccolo, who is Alexander Ciccolo’s father, warned the government agency on Sept. 11, 2014, the AP reported. The father was concerned about his son’s lengthy history of mental illness and discussions of joining ISIS.

Alexander Ciccolo attended an anti-nuclear peace walk in Fukushima, Japan, in July 2012, ABC News reported.

Online ISIS content influenced Alexander Ciccolo, according to the FBI.

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