New Jersey Man Sentenced to Nearly Six Years for Explosives Threat at DC Church
The man brought homemade explosive devices and a list of demands to a church preparing for the Supreme Court's annual Red Mass.
A New Jersey man has been sentenced to five years and 10 months in prison for bringing homemade explosive devices to a Washington, D.C., church preparing for the annual Red Mass, which marks the start of the Supreme Court’s term.
Louis Geri, who was arrested on Oct. 5, 2025, outside the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle, also received three years of supervised release. U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss stated he balanced the public danger Geri posed against the defendant's significant mental health issues and need for treatment.
Geri had set up a tent on the church steps containing more than 100 homemade explosives and a nine-page list of demands. He told police that "several of your people are gonna die from one of these" if his demands were not met. Prosecutors noted that Geri's written demands included requests for money, an "expatriation flight" to Japan, and for the Supreme Court to remove Arizona from the United States. According to a court filing, prosecutors wrote that Geri'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."
Police found paperwork in Geri's possession that expressed "significant animosity" toward the Roman Catholic Church, Jewish people, and the Supreme Court. Although some justices typically attend the Red Mass, none were present at last year's ceremony.
Geri's attorney, Elizabeth Mullin, stated that her client, who traveled to Washington from Arkansas, was diagnosed with bipolar disorder over two decades ago and had stopped taking his medication. Mullin argued that Geri's actions were the result of a treatable medical condition spiraling out of control, not malice or an intent to harm.
In March, Geri pleaded guilty to two felony counts: illegal possession of a destructive device and extortion by wrongful use of force, violence, or fear. Geri and prosecutors had agreed that a prison term between five years and 10 months, and seven years and three months, would be appropriate. Judge Moss was not bound by this recommendation, but Geri could have withdrawn his guilty plea had a longer sentence been imposed.