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Berkshire Man Given 20-Year Sentence For Terror Plot, Assault

North Berkshire District Court
Alexander Ciccolo in April 2014.

A Berkshire County man was sentenced to 20 years in prison Wednesday in a Springfield, Massachusetts courtroom for terrorism and assault charges.

Alexander Ciccolo was arrested in July 2015 in Adams during a sting operation for the illegal possession of firearms and plotting to commit acts of mass destruction. Authorities say Ciccolo’s plans were in support of the Islamic State terrorist group.

U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts Andrew Lelling told the court Wednesday that the 26-year-old Ciccolo “repeatedly expressed his desire to engage in acts of violent jihad against our country,” specifically planning to use improvised explosives partially inspired by the Boston Marathon bombings on college campuses. Ciccolo, the son of a Boston Police captain, pleaded guilty in May.

Ciccolo’s assault charge stems from an attack on a nurse with a pen while in custody at the Franklin County Correctional Center.

His 20-year sentence is followed by a lifetime of supervised release.

Josh Landes has been WAMC's Berkshire Bureau Chief since February 2018, following stints at WBGO Newark and WFMU East Orange. A passionate advocate for Western Massachusetts, Landes was raised in Pittsfield and attended Hampshire College in Amherst, receiving his bachelor's in Ethnomusicology and Radio Production. His free time is spent with his cat Harry, experimental electronic music, and exploring the woods.
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