Michigan man charged after allegedly claiming he had explosives outside Trump rally

GRAND RAPIDS — A west Michigan man has pleaded not guilty to a series of felony charges after allegedly driving through a police checkpoint and claiming he had explosives outside former President Donald Trump's rally on Friday near Grand Rapids.

City of Walker police say they arrested Steven Nauta, of Sand Lake, on Friday toward the end of Trump's remarks, which took place at a local manufacturing facility. According to a police affidavit obtained by CNN, Nauta was denied entry into the rally before he held up a bottle and told police officers it was "C4" explosives.

"Steven also confessed that he then sped past the traffic point in a 35 (miles per hour) zone, disobeying the officer's commands to stop," the affidavit states. "Officers pursued Steven in fully marked police cruisers with lights and sirens activated and he failed to immediately stop.

"When Steven finally stopped, he removed bags of fertilizer from his vehicle and threw them on the ground to make It appear that they were explosives while disobeying officers' commands."

Nauta faces four felony charges in Walker's 59th District Court: false threat of terrorism, possession of explosives with unlawful intent, fleeing a police officer and resisting/obstructing an officer. He pleaded not guilty to each count on Monday, a court official told the Free Press.

The most serious charge, false threat of terrorism, carries a maximum possible sentence of 20 years in prison and up to a $20,000 fine.

It was not immediately clear if Nauta was being represented by an attorney.

Nauta is due back in 59th District Court on Oct. 8 for a preliminary examination hearing. CNN reported Nauta has been placed under house arrest and his bond has been set at $1 million.

In a Facebook post, Walker police said no explosive device was found in Nauta's vehicle. The affidavit states the fertilizer Nauta allegedly was carrying could be used to make an explosive device.

"No one was injured. The driver never made it into the parking area of the business that was hosting the event," the post states.

Trump has been targeted twice in apparent assassination attempts this year during his campaign for president. In July, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks fired at Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, striking Trump in the ear and killing one person at the rally. Crooks was killed by Secret Service agents. In September, Ryan Routh was arrested after positioning himself with a rifle outside a golf club where the 2024 Republican presidential nominee was playing.

Routh pleaded not guilty to felony charges, including for attempting to assassinate a presidential candidate, on Monday.

Contact Arpan Lobo: [email protected]

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Man charged after allegedly saying he had explosives near Trump rally