Lombard Juvenile Charged with Attempt Terrorism at Glendale Heights Islamic Center and Unlawful Possession of a Firearm

The Islamic Education Center in Glendale Heights.

“AN ATTEMPTED ACT OF TERRORISM, AS ALLEGED IN THIS CASE, ACHIEVES THE SAME GOALS OF SPREADING FEAR, DIVIDING OUR COMMUNITIES AND UNDERMINING THE RULE OF LAW, AS DOES AN ACT OF TERRORISM,” BERLIN SAID. “THE ALLEGATIONS AGAINST THIS JUVENILE ARE EXTREMELY SERIOUS AND WILL NOT BE TOLERATED IN DUPAGE COUNTY. I AM EXTREMELY PROUD TO BE PART OF A TEAM OF FEDERAL AND LOCAL OFFICIALS WHOSE SHARED DEDICATION TO PUBLIC SAFETY AND ABILITY TO WORK TOGETHER TOWARD A COMMON GOAL PREVENTED WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN A HORRIBLE TRAGEDY.”

LOMBARD - DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin, Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI and Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, announced today that a Lombard juvenile has been charged with plotting to commit an act of terror at a Glendale Heights Islamic Center. The juvenile, a sixteen-year-old male, appeared at his detention hearing this morning charged with one count of Unlawful Possession of a Firearm (Class 4 Felony) and one count of Attempt Terrorism (Class 1 Felony). Following his hearing, Judge Kishori Tank ordered he be detained until at least his next court appearance.

According to the Petition, which was filed this morning, on July 4, 2025, the minor allegedly, “with the intent to commit the offense of Terrorism, knowingly performed a substantial step toward the commission of that offense, in that he entered the Islamic Education Center, located at 1269 Goodrich Avenue, Glendale Heights, DuPage County, and video recorded religious services to assist in preparation for detonating an explosive device at that location…”. The Petition further alleges that on July 12, 2025, the minor “possessed a handgun which was of a size that could be concealed upon his person.”

“An attempted act of terrorism, as alleged in this case, achieves the same goals of spreading fear, dividing our communities and undermining the rule of law, as does an act of terrorism,” Berlin said. “The allegations against this juvenile are extremely serious and will not be tolerated in DuPage County. I am extremely proud to be part of a team of federal and local officials whose shared dedication to public safety and ability to work together toward a common goal prevented what could have been a horrible tragedy. I commend the Chicago Field Office of the FBI for their work on this case and for their continued efforts in keeping our citizens throughout the state safe. I also thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Lombard Police Department for their work and assistance on this case as well as Assistant State’s Attorney Nick Catizone for his efforts in preparing a strong case against the juvenile.”

“The FBI works tirelessly, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and 365 days a year, evaluating the threat landscape in order to detect and disrupt plans aimed at terrorizing our homeland,” said Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. “Thanks to local law enforcement and the DuPage County State's Attorney's Office, we were able to successfully foil credible threats of a targeted attack in our community. The FBI is committed to utilizing every available tool in our arsenal against those who seek to harm the safety or security of anyone within our borders.”

“Through incredible law enforcement effort and coordination, a violent terrorist attack on American soil was thwarted,” said Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois. “I commend the outstanding work by our Assistant U.S. Attorneys, the FBI, the Lombard Police Department, and our prosecutorial partners in the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office, to diligently discover, thoroughly investigate, and completely foil this terror plot. The arrest in this case serves as an emphatic reminder that federal, state, and local law enforcement will aggressively pursue those who attempt to harm Americans through terrorist acts.”

The juvenile’s next court appearance is scheduled for August 4, 2025, for status in front of Judge Tank.

Members of the public are reminded that this petition contains only charges and is not proof of the juvenile’s guilt. The juvenile is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial in which it is the government’s burden to prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.