Boston police captain's son Alexander Ciccolo charged in ISIS terror bomb plot

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Alexander Ciccolo, 23, also known as Ali Al Amriki, was arrested on July 4
Ciccolo's father is Boston police Captain Robert Ciccolo, who was one of the first responders to the 2013 Marathon bombing
Captain Ciccolo contacted FBI last September saying his son had expressed a desire to join ISIS
FBI affidavit states the younger Ciccolo was inspired by Boston Marathon attack and praised recent massacre on a beach in Tunisia
'Allahu Akbar!!! I got the pressure cooker today,' Ciccolo was quoted as saying to undercover agent
Arrested after taking delivery of two Glock handguns, a Colt AR-15 rifle and a SigArms high-powered rifle
Estranged parents: 'We are grateful that authorities were able to prevent any loss of life or harm to others'

Published: 13:29 EST, 13 July 2015 | Updated: 07:45 EST, 14 July 2015

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Federal officials revealed Monday they have arrested a heavily armed Massachusetts man who was building bombs in his apartment and planned to attack a crowded university campus cafeteria on behalf of the Islamic State militant group.

Alexander Ciccolo, 23, also known as Ali Al Amriki, was arrested July 4 for the unlawful receipt of multiple guns, the U.S. Justice Department said in a news release. His indictment was unsealed today.

The college he intended to target was not disclosed.

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Alexander Ciccolo, also known as Ali Al Amriki, is accused in a criminal complaint unsealed Monday of receiving four guns July 4 from a person cooperating with a Joint Terrorism Task Force. Ciccolo has been in and out of hospitals for mental illness and his father noticed suspicious activity and turned him over to police

Whistleblower: Ciccolo's father, Boston police Captain Robert Ciccolo (pictured), contacted FBI September, 11, 2014, saying his son 'had expressed a desire to go overseas and fight for ISIL'

Non-violent past: Alexander Ciccolo on a peace walk through Brighton, Massachusetts to spread awareness about the dangers of nuclear energy and weapons in July, 2012

FBI agents put Ciccolo under surveillance after being alerted to some of his posts on social media.

Ciccolo posted online a photo of a dead American soldier and wrote; 'Thank you Islamic State. Now we won’t have to deal with these kafir back in America,' reported ABC News.

Kafir is an Arabic term that is translated as 'unbeliever or 'infidel.'

The feds watched Ciccolo buy at least one pressure cooker at a Walmart store in North Adams, Massachusetts, according to an affidavit by FBI Special Agent Paul Ambrogio.

Pressure-cooker bombs were used in the attacks on the Boston Marathon in 2013, killing three and injuring 264 people.

Federal investigators stated that Ciccolo said he was 'inspired' by the Marathon attack carried out by the Tsarnaev brothers and their use of pressure cooker bombs, and told an FBI undercover operative, 'Allahu Akbar!!! I got the pressure cooker today.'

Talking to an FBI informant, Ciccolo also allegedly praised the June terror attack on a beach resort in Tunisia that killed 39 people stating, according to the FBI affidavit: 'Awesome. Awesome, you that ah, that brother in Tunisia was impressive.'

Ciccolo's father is Boston police Captain Robert Ciccolo, a veteran commander who was one of the first responders to the 2013 Marathon bombing.

Ciccolo is accused of being a supporter of Islamic State. Ciccolo told the informant he wanted to build bombs similar to the ones used in the attacks on the marathon, according to the affidavit.

Boston Police captain's son charged in ISIS terrorism plot

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A Colt AR-15 .223 caliber rifle, a SigArms Model SG550-1, 556 caliber rifle, a Glock 17-9mm pistol, and a Glock 20-10 mm pisto he was having delivered

After his arrest, authorities searched his apartment and found partially built Molotov cocktail bombs

After his arrest, authorities said they searched his apartment and found partially built Molotov cocktail bombs.

'These incendiary devices contained what appeared to be shredded Styrofoam soaking in motor oil,' Ambrogio said in his affidavit.

The search also yielded a pressure-cooker, chemicals, an alarm clock and 'attack planning papers' related to 'jihad.'

Ciccolo allegedly said the Styrofoam would cause the fire from the exploded devices to stick to people's skin and make it harder to put the fire out, according to the affidavit.

Ciccolo first came to the attention of the terrorism task force on September 11 last year, when a close acquaintance — identified by the two law enforcement officials as Ciccolo's father — told the FBI that Ciccolo 'had expressed a desire to go overseas and fight for ISIL,' according to court papers.

The acquaintance told the FBI that Ciccolo had a long history of mental illness and in the last 18 months 'had become obsessed with Islam.' The person also told the FBI he had received texts from Ciccolo in which he said America was 'Satan' and Americans were disgusting.

The FBI said Ciccolo told the cooperating witness he planned to attack a university using assault rifles and explosives, focusing on dorms and the cafeteria during the lunchtime because it would be packed with people.

He also allegedly said that if a student was a Muslim, 'he would be permitted to help, sit tight or leave.' Ciccolo told the witness that the Boston Marathon bombing gave him the idea of using pressure-cooker bombs, the FBI said.

The Muslim convert's initial planning, according to the FBI, was to travel to 'another state' and use a pressure cooker bomb 'to conduct terrorist attacks on civilians, members of the U.S. military and law enforcement personnel.' But he later changed tack, the affidavit stated, focusing his plot on college dorms with the intent to execute students and broadcast the killings online.

Ciccolo was arrested after taking delivery of two Glock handguns, a Colt AR-15 rifle and a SigArms high-powered rifle, according to authorities.

He had previously been convicted of a crime punishable by more than a year in jail and therefore was prohibited from possessing firearms.

After his arrest Ciccolo is accused of stabbing a nurse in the head with a pen. The assault left a hole in the nurse's skin and caused the pen to break in half, according to Ambrogio's affidavit

While at the Franklin County House of Correction after his arrest, Ciccolo allegedly stabbed a nurse in the head with a pen during a routine checkup.

The assault left a hole in the nurse's skin and caused the pen to break in half, according to Ambrogio's affidavit.

It not immediately know whether Ciccolo had an attorney.

According to the Boston Police Department, Ciccolo has been in and out of hospitals for mental illness and his police captain father noticed suspicious activity and turned him over to police.

His parents, from whom he is estranged, released a statement: 'While we were saddened and disappointed to learn of our son's intentions, we are grateful that authorities were able to prevent any loss of life or harm to others. At this time, we would ask that the public and the media recognize our grief and respect our desire for privacy.'