An 18-year-old resident of Mint Hill, North Carolina, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Charlotte for allegedly attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State in Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), according to an announcement from Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. The indictment follows the arrest of Christian Sturdivant on December 31, 2025, after law enforcement learned he was planning an attack on New Year’s Eve at a grocery store and a fast-food restaurant.
Authorities say Sturdivant intended to use knives and hammers to inflict harm on as many people as possible until he was killed by police. "James C. Barnacle, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Charlotte Field Office, joins U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making the announcement."
Court documents state that the FBI began investigating Sturdivant after receiving information about his online communications with an undercover law enforcement agent posing as an ISIS member. During these exchanges, Sturdivant reportedly said he would “do jihad soon” and called himself “a soldier of the state,” referring to ISIS.
On December 29, 2025, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Sturdivant’s home. They found handwritten notes detailing plans for an attack, two hammers and two butcher knives, a list of potential targets, tactical gloves, and a vest.
Sturdivant is currently being held in federal custody. If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in prison. Sentencing will be determined by a federal district court judge who will consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines along with other legal factors.
The investigation involved multiple agencies working together through the FBI Charlotte Joint Terrorism Task Force. Participating agencies included local police departments from Charlotte-Mecklenburg, Matthews, Monroe; federal agencies such as the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; Federal Air Marshal Service; Homeland Security Investigations; Internal Revenue Service; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services; as well as assistance from the NYPD and other FBI divisions.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Gleason for the Western District of North Carolina and DOJ Trial Attorney Elisa Poteat with the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting this case.
Officials remind that "the charges against the defendant are merely allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law."
