A New Jersey man was sentenced to nearly six years in prison for bringing more than 100 homemade explosive devices to a church in the nation's capital that was preparing to host a Mass traditionally attended by U.S. Supreme Court justices. Louis Geri was arrested last year after he was found with explosives outside the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle, which was hosting the annual “Red Mass” for the justices and other legal professionals.
Geri was initially arrested on preliminary local charges of unlawful entry, threats to kidnap or injure a person, and possession of a Molotov cocktail, before federal prosecutors later charged him with Hobbs Act extortion and possession of an unregistered firearm. U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss sentenced Geri on Monday to five years and 10 months in prison, plus three years of supervised release. Geri declined to address the court.
Moss explained that his sentencing reflected both the danger that Geri poses to the public and his history of “very serious mental health issues,” reported the Associated Press. “This was an extremely serious offense,” stated Moss, as quoted by the AP.
“It may have been carried out in a bizarre manner, but the threat of violence was a serious one.” According to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington, the Red Mass “dates back many centuries” and gets its name from “the color of the liturgical vestments worn by the celebrants and the color of fire, a symbol of the Holy Spirit.” The John Carroll Society, an organization based in the District of Columbia that ministers to Catholic legal professionals, co-hosts the annual worship service alongside the archdiocese.
The service is held annually shortly before the start of the Supreme Court's term, and the justices, along with other government officials and legal professionals, have traditionally attended. However,