A New Jersey man was sentenced to nearly six years in prison on Monday for bringing 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 speak to the court before U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss sentenced him to five years and ten months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
Moss stated that he weighed the danger Geri poses to the public against the defendant’s history of “very serious mental health issues” and the necessity for appropriate treatment.
“This was an extremely serious offense,” the court stated. “It may have been carried out in a bizarre manner, but the threat of violence was a serious one.”
Geri was detained on October 5, 2025, outside the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle, while police were cleaning the area for the annual Red Mass. Police said Geri had documentation that suggested “significant animosity” toward the Roman Catholic Church, Jews, and the Supreme Court. Some justices normally attend the celebration, but none attended last year’s event.
Geri had set up a tent outside the church with more than 100 homemade explosives and a nine-page “list of written demands,” according to a court complaint. Geri informed police he had explosive devices and threatened to kill “several of your people” if his demands were not granted, according to the complaint.
Geri’s written demands included requests for money, a “expatriation flight” to Japan, and the Supreme Court’s removal of Arizona from the US.
“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,” the prosecution stated.
Geri’s attorney stated that the New Jersey native, who had traveled to Washington from Arkansas, was diagnosed with bipolar disorder over two decades ago and had stopped taking his medicine in the months preceding his detention 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 pled guilty to two felony counts in March: unauthorized possession of a destructive device and extortion by the wrongful use of force, assault, or terror.
Geri and prosecutors agreed that a prison sentence ranging from five years and ten months to seven years and three months was justified. Moss was not obligated by the recommendation, but Geri had the option of withdrawing his guilty plea if the judge had issued a longer punishment.
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