A terrifying church threat that could have ended very differently has finally reached the courtroom finish line.
Nearly one year after Louis Geri was arrested outside the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in Washington, D.C., ahead of a high-profile Mass connected to the opening of the Supreme Court’s new term, he is heading to federal prison.
According to The Associated Press, U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss sentenced Geri Monday to five years and 10 months behind bars, which will be followed by three years of supervised release.
As Charisma reported following Geri’s October 2025 arrest, authorities encountered him outside the cathedral as preparations were underway for the annual Red Mass—a service that traditionally draws prominent members of the legal community and has been attended by Supreme Court justices.
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What the police discovered was anything but ordinary.
Court filings cited by the AP say Geri had set up a tent on the cathedral steps which had more than 100 homemade explosive devices. Authorities also recovered a list that demonstrated “significant animosity” toward the Supreme Court, the Catholic Church and Jewish people.
What could have become an unspeakable tragedy at a house of worship instead ended without the bloodshed those explosives were capable of producing. Now, nearly a year later, the man who brought them to the church steps will spend almost six years behind bars.
Abby Trivett is a writer and editor for Charisma Media and has a passion for sharing the gospel through the written word. She holds two degrees from Regent University, a B.A. in Communication with a concentration in Journalism and a Master of Arts in Journalism. She is the author of the newly released book, The Power of Suddenly: Discover How God Can Change Everything in a Moment. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact [email protected].
