USA v. Pelkey, Xavier
Waterville, ME

ISIS

Xavier Pelkey from Maine and two teenagers, one located in the Chicago area, and one from Kentucky planned to attack a Shia mosque in the Chicago area in March 2022 in the name of ISIS. Pelkey and the two unidentified teens communicated through Instagram and other chat platforms to plan a meeting in Chicago during spring break. The teenager located in Chicago allegedly told the FBI that the plan was to "enter the Shia mosque and separate the adults from the children, then murder the adults" in the name of ISIS. The FBI also allegedly found three explosive devices located at Pelkey's house. Pelkey was additionally charged in a superseding indictment with conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists and possession of unregistered destructive devices. In April 2023, Pelkey pleaded guilty to providing material support to terrorists. He faces up to 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine followed by up to a lifetime of supervised release.