Overview
- Louis Geri, 41, of Vineland, New Jersey, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to Hobbs Act extortion and possession of an unregistered destructive device.
- He set up a tent on the steps of St. Matthew’s Cathedral before the Oct. 5, 2025 Red Mass and brought more than 100 homemade devices assembled from nitromethane, magnesium, charcoal and thermite.
- Police recovered one device from his pocket and more than 100 from the tent, and FBI testing confirmed the items were operable improvised explosive devices.
- Court filings say he carried a nine-page list of demands that sought cash, extended lodging at the Mayflower Hotel, a flight to Japan, and for the Supreme Court to remove Arizona, while warning that “several of your people are gonna die” if negotiations did not occur.
- The judge is not bound by the sentencing recommendation, and prosecutors say Geri admitted willingness to harm people and landmarks; the investigation involved MPD, ATF and the FBI.