Overview

• Louis Geri, 41, of Vineland, New Jersey, was arrested early Sunday after pitching a tent on the steps of St. Matthew’s Cathedral and refusing to leave despite a prior ban, police said.
• Officers reported vials of liquid, possible fireworks, and an alleged Molotov cocktail inside the tent; MPD’s bomb squad and Arson Task Force removed the materials and secured the scene.
• Newly described in court records, authorities recovered more than 200 homemade devices, including modified bottle rockets and vials containing nitromethane, and documented explicit threats to detonate explosives.
• The investigation involves MPD with assistance from the Joint Terrorism Task Force, the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and the ATF; officials said there was no ongoing threat to the public.
• Geri faces preliminary charges of unlawful entry, threats to kidnap or injure, and possession of a Molotov cocktail, and court documents outline additional counts and his detention without bond as the probe continues.