Federal authorities say they have disrupted an alleged New Year’s Eve terror plot after arresting and charging an 18-year-old North Carolina man with attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State in Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization.
In a statement released January 2, 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice announced that Christian Sturdivant of Mint Hill, North Carolina, was arrested following a joint federal and local law enforcement investigation.
Prosecutors allege Sturdivant planned to carry out a mass-casualty attack using knives and hammers at a grocery store and a fast food restaurant in support of ISIS.
A criminal complaint was filed on December 31, 2025, and unsealed after Sturdivant made his initial appearance in federal court in Charlotte. He remains in federal custody.
According to the Justice Department, the FBI began investigating Sturdivant in mid-December 2025 after receiving information that he was posting extremist content online in support of ISIS. Authorities allege that Sturdivant communicated with an undercover FBI employee whom he believed to be an ISIS member, telling the individual, “I will do jihad soon,” and referring to himself as “a soldier of the state,” a term associated with ISIS.
Court documents allege that Sturdivant shared images of knives and hammers—methods of attack previously promoted in ISIS propaganda—and identified a specific grocery store in North Carolina as a target. He also allegedly discussed plans to obtain a firearm to use in the attack and sent a voice recording pledging loyalty, or “bayat,” to ISIS.
On December 29, 2025, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Sturdivant’s residence. Investigators say they recovered handwritten notes, including a document titled “New Years Attack 2026,” which outlined plans to stab as many civilians as possible and included references to a so-called “martyrdom” operation targeting responding police officers. Authorities also seized knives, hammers, tactical gloves, a vest, and a list of targets from the defendant’s bedroom.
Attorney General Pamela Bondi praised the multi-agency effort, saying the investigation “saved American lives from a horrific terrorist attack on New Year’s Eve.” FBI Director Kash Patel emphasized that individuals who support terrorist organizations “will be held accountable in our justice system.”
If convicted, Sturdivant faces a statutory maximum sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison. A federal judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina and the Department of Justice’s National Security Division. Federal officials stressed that the charges are allegations and that the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
