Court docs: Man claimed to have C4 at Trump checkpoint

GRANDVILLE, Mich. (WOOD) — Police say a man claimed to have a bomb outside a rally for former President Donald Trump in metro Grand Rapids and that he insisted it was the “real deal” — though it was not.

As he appeared in a Grandville courtroom via video linkup from a jail cell Monday afternoon, Steven William Nauta, 65, of Sand Lake, acknowledged he could hear the judge and that he understood the charges against him and his rights.

He held his head down for the majority of his arraignment. At one point, he made profane hand gestures, but apologized when the judge warned him not to do so again. As the judge explained his bond decision, Nauta took his shirt off.

“Well, your honor, given my situation, I think I’m better off just staying in here,” Nauta said after he learned bond was set at $1 million. “Very cruel world out there. Probably a lot better off here.”

He was charged with one felony count each of a false report or threat of terrorism, possession of bombs with unlawful intent, third-degree fleeing a police officer and resulting, resisting or obstructing a police officer. No guilty pleas were entered on his behalf, which is standard at arraignment.

PROSECUTOR: NO ACTUAL BOMB

Acknowledging the name of the bomb possession charge is alarming, Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker explained it does not mean Nauta actually had a bomb.

“He had materials that could be used, when put together with other materials, that could be used to make a bomb,” Becker told News 8. “It’s not like there was an active bomb in the car that he was heading towards the rally with.”

That material, the judge said in court, was fertilizer.

The Walker Police Department said Nauta was stopped Friday after driving around the barricades at the checkpoint outside Trump’s rally at Falk Production in Walker and told he couldn’t go any farther. A court document alleges he then “held up a bottle to police and stated that it was ‘C4’ explosive and that it was the ‘real deal.'”

Authorities say Nauta “sped off” past the checkpoint, ignoring police orders. Police say he didn’t stop right away when they gave chase, was slowed by Walker police and came to a stop in the parking lot of a neighboring business.

“When (Nauta) 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,” the court document reads.

Police said they told Nauta to get down on the ground, but he disobeyed them when he was told to stay there. He was ultimately arrested.

“(Nauta) said that he intended to make officers, and others, believe he had explosives,” the document reads in part.

No one was hurt and Nauta did not make it as far as Falk’s property, police said.

‘HEIGHTENED’ SENSITIVITY TO THREATS

Kent County District Court Judge Nicholas Christensen cited the risks of additional criminal activity, flight and public safety when he set the high bond Monday.

“It’s not lost on this court here today that your alleged actions were directed to stopping or hindering a fundamental aspect of this country’s democratic process: a political rally,” Christensen said.

Becker said such rallies require a huge investment of manpower to secure and any threats are taken very seriously.

“Hopefully people don’t take this lightly, thinking, oh, it’s kind of a joke or something to do something like this,” Becker said. “The police are all over these events, they’re very serious, and especially with everything going on right now, I think there’s just a heightened level of tension and trying to keep everything safe.”

He said this case is the first of its kind that he can remember in his nearly 30 years at the Kent County Prosecutor’s Office.

“This is the first time I can think of that we’ve had any sort of incident (related to a political event) with police responding and we’ve actually filed charges,” he said.

If Nauta does post bond, he may not have any guns, dangerous weapons or equipment that could be used in the making of a bomb, including fertilizer. He would also have to be on house arrest with a GPS tether.

He is expected back in court for hearings on Oct. 8 and Oct. 15. If convicted of the false threat charge, he could spend up to 20 years in prison. The bomb charge is punishable by up to 15 years. The fleeing charge is a 5-year felony and the resisting charge a 2-year felony.

—News 8’s Demetrios Sanders and Corinne Moore contributed to this report.

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