New Jersey teen admits plotting to assassinate Pope Francis during U.S. visit

A New Jersey teenager has pleaded guilty to participating in an assassination plot against Pope Francis during his visit to the U.S. in 2015.

Santos Colon, 17, allegedly planned to set off bombs and tried to conspire with a sniper, who was actually an FBI undercover agent, prosecutors said, according to Russia Today. The teenager, who was allegedly inspired by the Islamic State, admitted to the assassination plot in federal court on Monday.

According to a statement from acting US Attorney William Fitzgerald, Colon's plan involved shooting the pope during his mass in Philadelphia, and setting off the explosives in the surrounding areas.

Colon, also known as Ahmad Shakoor, admitted that between June 30, 2015 and Aug. 14, 2015, he devised the plan, in which he scoped out possible targets with the undercover agent and instructed him where to purchase materials to build the explosives.

The teenager was unable to carry out the attack as he was arrested by FBI agents in 2015.

"Colon engaged in target reconnaissance with an FBI confidential source and instructed the source to purchase materials to make explosive devices," prosecutors said in a statement on Monday.

Court documents revealed that he was initially charged under seal as a juvenile in August 2015, but his case was transferred for prosecution as an adult as part of his plea deal with the U.S. Attorney's Office.

"The minor was inspired by [Islamic State/IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL] and sought to conduct a detailed homeland attack which included multiple attackers, firearms, and multiple explosives, targeting a foreign dignitary at a high-profile event," according to a joint intelligence bulletin by the FBI and Department of Homeland Security cited by ABC News in 2015.

Under the terms of the plea deal, the prosecutors agreed not to pursue charges for Colon's attempts to provide support to ISIS as well as his attempt to obtain a weapon of mass destruction.

The teenager was charged as an adult on Monday with one count of attempting to provide material support to terrorists. He faces a jail sentence of up to 15 years and a fine of $250,000, or twice the amount of any financial gain or loss from the offense.

Colon is scheduled to appear for a status conference on May 5, but no date has been set for sentencing.

Hundreds of thousands of people attended the public mass conducted by Pope Francis during his visit to Philadelphia on Sept. 26 and 27, 2015.