A man who allegedly claimed to have C4 explosives in his car and sped through a security checkpoint at a Donald Trump rally in Michigan over the weekend has pleaded not guilty to charges against him. Steven William Nauta faces four state counts, including making a false threat of terrorism and being in possession of bomb-making materials.
During his arraignment on Monday, Nauta pleaded not guilty to each count. A bond of $1 million was set for him and he was placed under house arrest. Prosecutors allege that Nauta approached a traffic point, held a bottle to police claiming it was 'C4' explosive, and then sped past the checkpoint despite commands to stop.
After being chased by police, Nauta stopped and allegedly threw bags of fertilizer on the ground to make it appear as if they were explosives. He admitted to law enforcement that he intended to make officers and others believe he had explosives, according to the complaint.
Despite Nauta's claims, no explosives were found in his vehicle, as confirmed by a federal source familiar with the incident. The charges against Nauta highlight that the fertilizer he removed from his vehicle could be used to make explosives.
