100 Bombs on Church Steps: NJ Man Pleads Guilty to Plot Targeting DC Cathedral Red Mass

New Jersey Man Pleads Guilty After Assembling Over 100 Bombs on Steps of Washington DC Catholic Cathedral Before Red Mass

Louis Geri, 41, of Vineland, New Jersey, has pleaded guilty to two federal charges after assembling more than 100 homemade explosive devices on the steps of St. Matthew's Cathedral in Washington, D.C., in an attempt to disrupt the annual Red Mass.

Geri entered guilty pleas to one count of Hobbs Act extortion by wrongful use of force, violence, or fear and one count of possession of an unregistered firearm, specifically a destructive device.

On the evening of October 4, 2025, Geri rode his motorcycle to St. Matthew's Cathedral and set up a tent on the church's front steps. Throughout the night, he assembled more than 100 explosive devices made from materials including nitromethane, magnesium, charcoal, and thermite. The materials had been purchased in Arkansas and assembled in Virginia.

The Red Mass is a high profile annual Catholic service attended by members of the Supreme Court, the Presidential Cabinet, members of Congress, and the diplomatic corps. It was scheduled for the following morning.

When police officers confronted Geri early on October 5, he told them:

"Several of your people are gonna die from one of these" if federal agents did not negotiate with him.

Law enforcement established a perimeter and arrested Geri at approximately 5:53 a.m. when he briefly exited the tent. The FBI confirmed that all devices recovered were improvised explosive devices in operable condition.

Geri had prepared a nine page list of demands, including hundreds of thousands of dollars in payments, accommodations at the Mayflower Hotel, an expatriation flight to Japan, and demands that the Supreme Court remove Arizona from the United States and declare it a "foreign enemy." He also directed demands at Catholic and Jewish leaders.

He admitted he was willing to harm people and property, including St. Matthew's Cathedral, the White House, the Washington Monument, the U.S. Capitol, and the Supreme Court.

U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro stated:

"Threatening to detonate devices on the steps of a Catholic church is a violation of our way of life and of the First Amendment right to the free exercise of religion."

Geri faces a maximum of 20 years for the extortion charge and 5 to 10 years for possession of a destructive device. Sentencing is scheduled for July 27, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss. No Supreme Court justices attended that year's Red Mass as the security situation unfolded.

NJ Man Admits to Cathedral Bomb Plot Targeting Supreme Court Justices at DC Red Mass

The investigation was conducted by the Metropolitan Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Washington Field Division, and the FBI Washington Field Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Josh Satter.

The Crusader's Opinion

Let this sink in. A man assembled over 100 live bombs on the steps of a Catholic cathedral where Supreme Court justices, Cabinet members, and members of Congress were expected to worship God the very next morning. And yet this story barely made a ripple in the mainstream media cycle.

If a Christian had set up a tent full of explosives outside a mosque in any Western city, it would have dominated every headline for weeks. There would be congressional hearings, candlelight vigils, and new legislation drafted before the suspect even saw a courtroom. But when the target is a Catholic church? Silence.

This was not a protest. This was not a "mental health episode." This was a man who purchased bomb making materials in one state, assembled them in another, and rode his motorcycle to the nation's capital with the explicit intention of killing worshippers and coercing the government. That is terrorism. Call it what it is.

The Church has survived far worse than Louis Geri. But the West's refusal to take threats against Christians seriously is a rot that will consume everything it touches if left unchecked.

Take Action

• Pray for the safety of all worshippers at St. Matthew's Cathedral and Catholic parishes across the United States. Share this story with your congregation.
• Contact your members of Congress and demand that attacks on houses of worship receive the same media and legislative attention as attacks on any other religious institution. Find your representatives at congress.gov.
• Support The Shepherd's Shield, which works to protect persecuted Christians and defend the faith worldwide.
• Report suspicious activity near your church or house of worship to local law enforcement and the FBI tip line at 1 800 CALL FBI (1 800 225 5324).
• Support the Catholic Charities USA in their mission to serve communities and strengthen parishes across the country.