SPRINGFIELD — An Adams man who plotted a terrorist attack on a college campus in support of the Islamic State was sentenced Wednesday to 20 years in federal prison.

Alexander Ciccolo, 26, accepted the prison sentence recommendation reached between federal prosecutors and his defense team, hoping to avoid the drama of a trial or contested sentencing hearing.

“Make no mistake, Alexander Ciccolo was a committed soldier of ISIS who wanted to kill innocent people at a United States university with assault rifles and pressure cooker bombs, not an unwitting dupe who didn’t understand the gravity of what he was doing,” said Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI, in a statement.

“He repeatedly expressed his desire to engage in acts of violent jihad against our country, and with this sentencing, he will now pay the price for conspiring with a foreign terrorist organization.”

Assistant U.S. Attorney Deepika Bains Shukla called the sentence fair and appropriate. Ciccolo’s lead attorney, David Hoose, agreed but raised questions about how ready his client was to launch any kind of plan.

Ciccolo’s family issued a statement calling the sentence “unjust and harsh,” and said Ciccolo was undeserving of it. The sentence calls for a lifetime of supervision following release from prison.

“As we move forward through the many years of Alex’s incarceration, we will remain strong in our faith and commitment to trust in God’s plan for our son,” said Ciccolo’s mother and stepfather, Shelley and Stuart MacInnes.

Ciccolo, who also uses the name Ali Al Amriki, appeared in U.S. District Court Wednesday wearing traditional Muslim garb. He declined to speak when afforded the opportunity by Judge Mark G, Mastroianni.

The 26-year-old was arrested in July 2015 as part of a coordinated nationwide crackdown on those suspected of supporting terrorist activity. At that time, he was planning to attack a university using firearms and improvised explosives, and attempted to recruit others to help him.

Both during and after Wednesday’s hearing, Hoose noted Ciccolo had never actually been in contact with any actual members or supporters of the Islamic State and didn’t have the means to carry out any of the plans he had articulated.

Ciccolo had mentioned attacking a target in New Mexico using weapons and constructed explosives, but didn’t have the means to arm himself or get to New Mexico, Hoose said. The proposed target changed depending on which day one spoke to Ciccolo about it, Hoose said.

Ciccolo was arrested after accepting a small cache of weapons, which were “duds” disabled by law enforcement — a fact of which Ciccolo was unaware when he accepted the guns.

Ciccolo had been under surveillance for at least six months prior to his arrest after his father, Boston Police Captain Robert Ciccolo, alerted the FBI about his son’s stated desire to fight for the Islamic State.

“I don’t think Mr. Ciccolo expected that this was going to be the result of that phone call,” Hoose said, speculating that the senior Ciccolo may have expected the government to contact his son and inform him they were aware of statement’s he’d made and recommend he cease — colloquially known as a “knock and talk”— as is often done in similar cases.

Shukla said Robert Ciccolo’s decision must have been “agonizing,” but he had to balance the dual roles of father and law enforcement officer. She said she hoped Robert Ciccolo’s decision would encourage others to report suspicious activity, believing doing so in this case saved people’s lives.

‘Attack was avoided’

Shukla said the sentence was a reflection of the seriousness of the charges and argued Ciccolo demonstrated intent to harm by buying equipment, including a pressure cooker, with the intent to construct a bomb, and had begun building Molotov cocktails, specifically designed to inflict more harm and prolong suffering.

The partially constructed explosives contained plastic foam, which Shukla said was for the purpose of thickening the fuel mixture and making it more difficult to remove from skin, once ignited.

She said the sentence was a reminder of the necessity for vigilance and the need to address threats before they materialize.

“A domestic terrorist attack was avoided, and we’re thankful for that,” said Shukla, who also drew a distinction between Ciccolo’s actions and those of peaceful, law-abiding Muslims around the world.

Shukla also noted in court that Ciccolo attacked a nurse performing a medical screening during his booking by repeatedly stabbing her in the head with a pen, and only broke off the attack when the pen broke.

Shukla said the nurse, who submitted a letter to the court, felt Ciccolo’s sentence was appropriate and found some comfort in knowing she wouldn’t have to take the stand at trial.

In their statement, the Ciccolo family thanked their son’s defense team and those who have lent their support over the last three years.

“We want to express our heartfelt thank you to Alex’s defense team for their tireless work during these three long years. We would like to also express our gratitude for the many people, globally, whose support and prayers for Alex and our family meant so much during this difficult time,” the family said.

Following his arrest, Ciccolo gave an interview to authorities that was recorded. A portion of that interview was played during his arraignment.

“(The Islamic State) kills enemies, they kill oppressors,” Ciccolo said during that 102-minute FBI interview. “What I’m saying is (the Islamic State) will only kill people who fight them.”

Hoose said Wednesday that “(Ciccolo) believes in the idea of an Islamic caliphate, he does not support the current group that calls itself ISIL or ISIS or their tactics. But, he’s very serious about his religion and I think at least in a theoretical sense, he hopes for an Islamic caliphate to someday come into existence.”

At sentencing, Hoose asked Judge Mastroianni to consider recommending Ciccolo be allowed to partake in substance abuse counseling and that he be sent to a prison in the Northeast to allow more visitation with his family.

Mastroianni said he would make both of those recommendations.

In May, Ciccolo pleaded guilty to one count each of attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, attempting to use weapons of mass destruction, being a convicted person in possession of firearms, and one count of assault by use of a deadly weapon causing bodily injury.

It was not clear at press time where Ciccolo would serve his sentence. He will receive credit for time already served in custody.

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