The U.S. Department of Justice announced on Wednesday that 20-year-old Santa Maria resident Nathaniel James McGuire was charged on three counts in a recent federal grand jury indictment.
According to officials, McGuire was charged with one count of using a weapon of mass destruction, one count of maliciously damaging a building by means of explosive, and one count of possessing unregistered destructive devices.
His arraignment is scheduled for Friday at the United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles.
“The new charge of using a weapon of mass destruction underscores how seriously we are treating this misconduct and my office’s determination to hold accountable those who seek to bring violence upon our courts, law enforcement personnel, and the public,” United States Attorney Martin Estrada said in a press release.
The indictment is the result of a Sept. 26 federal criminal complaint in which McGuire was charged with maliciously damaging a building by means of explosive.
Charges were also filed locally against McGuire on Oct. 1, according to Santa Barbara County District Attorney John T. Savrnoch. The suspect was charged with ten collective counts related to the courthouse bombing incident; he was additionally charged with a special allegation for a separate felony offense one week prior to the bombing.
Wednesday's federal grand jury indictment comes less than a month after McGuire allegedly threw a bag into the lobby of Santa Barbara County Superior Court on Sept. 25, setting off an explosive that injured 5 people.
The indictment states that the Santa Maria resident was apprehended and detained as he was leaving the courthouse. While being restrained, he reportedly yelled that the government had taken his guns and that everyone needed to fight, rise up, and rebel.
An investigation after the incident revealed that McGuire had stored ammunition, a flare gun, a box of fireworks, a shotgun, a rifle, a suspected bomb, and 10 Molotov cocktails in his vehicle parked at the courthouse, according to officials. The U.S. Department of Justice says the suspect later told law enforcement that he intended to re-enter the courthouse with the firearms and kill a judge.
Authorities conducting a further search of McGuire's Santa Maria home reportedly uncovered papers that appeared to be recipes for explosive material, an empty can with nails glued to the outside, used and unused fireworks, black powder, and a duffel bag containing matches.
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“This crime shocked our entire community and we are pleased to see that the suspect in this case is being held accountable," said Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown in a press release.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, McGuire would face a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of life in federal prison, if convicted of all charges.
