Federal authorities have disrupted an alleged ISIS-inspired terror plot in North Carolina, arresting an 18-year-old who investigators say was preparing to carry out violence on New Year’s Eve.

Christian Sturdivant of Mint Hill, a suburb of Charlotte, was charged with attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organisation after law enforcement intercepted detailed plans for an attack targeting a grocery store and a fast-food restaurant where he worked.

The plot was halted through a months-long undercover operation in which the defendant communicated with agents he believed to be affiliated with the Islamic State group, discussing weapons and methods for inflicting harm on civilians and first responders.

Sturdivant had told undercover agents that he planned to stab and strike up to twenty people with knives and hammers, according to a handwritten document recovered by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Officials also found a manifesto-style note outlining his intent to confront police during the assault.

Authorities said they maintained continuous surveillance in the days leading up to the planned attack, ultimately arresting him on December 31, 2025, without any public danger to the community.

The FBI became aware of Sturdivant’s extremist sympathies last December, when he began communicating online with undercover officers posing as ISIS supporters.

Law enforcement officials said the investigation responded to his escalating expressions of intent to commit violence in the name of jihad.

During a news conference announcing the arrest, federal prosecutors emphasised that the public was never in immediate danger due to the proactive nature of the investigation.

Sturdivant remains in custody, and his case will proceed through the federal court system, where he faces up to twenty years in prison if convicted of the charges.