A U.S. District Court judge on Monday formally accepted a change of plea and set a 2027 sentencing date for the 22-year-old man who admitted detonating a bomb in the Santa Maria Court Complex lobby two years ago, sending five people to the hospital.
Nathaniel James McGuire’s change of plea hearing occurred Monday morning before U.S. District Court Judge Jesus G. Bernal in a Riverside courtroom.
Per an agreement signed by the defendant and attorneys earlier this month, McGuire pleaded guilty for using a weapon of mass destruction and malicious destruction of a building using an explosive, according to legal documents. A third charge of possessing unregistered destructive devices would be dismissed, under the plea deal.
On the morning of Sept. 25, 2024, McGuire showed up at the court complex and parked his Ford Mustang in the lot south of the facility.
He lit a fuse, walked in the door, and threw a backpack containing an explosive device past the security screening area toward Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office deputies. The explosive item slid between a victim’s legs and detonated on the first level of the building outside two courtrooms, according to the plea agreement statement of facts.
A courthouse security guard and several law enforcement officers stopped McGuire at his vehicle in the parking lot.
He intended to retrieve two long guns, 10 Molotov cocktails and more weapons from his vehicle to re-enter the courthouse with the intent to kill deputies and a judge, according to authorities.
“This defendant’s brazen act of terror resulted in physical, structural, and emotional harm, and could have had tragic consequences,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “Individuals who use bombs against law enforcement officials, judges, and other government personnel must be held accountable and face severe punishment for their actions.”
Another federal official referred to the McGuire’s actions as “a vicious, terroristic assault on a court of law with the intent to kill law enforcement officers and a judge.”
“His attack injured three people and, were it not for the quick action of court security and law enforcement, it could have been far worse. McGuire will now face the consequences of his action,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg.
While the plea deal notes three people were injured in the incident, identified by their initials as S.G., N.G.H., and N.C., it also notes five people were sent to the hospital and released the same day.
Under the terms of the agreement, the U.S. Attorney’s Office agreed to recommend a sentence of no greater than 30 years in prison; a lifetime period of supervised release; a $200 special assessment; and restitution and a fine to be imposed by the court.
McGuire faces a statutory maximum sentence of life in federal prison for the offenses.
The plea agreement also mentions restitution of approximately $35,000 for damages to the court facility from the explosives.
A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for March 1, 2027. Attorneys on both sides are expected to submit recommendations for the length of McGuire’s prison sentence.
McGuire’s legal troubles aren’t limited to federal court.
He continues to have two active cases in the Santa Barbara County Superior Court.
He faces a felony count of carrying a loaded handgun for which he was not the registered owner. That incident occurred July 28, 2024 and reportedly sparked his anger at authorities after being ordered to show up to court on Sept. 25, 2024 for an arraignment hearing.
For the incident involved the courthouse explosives, the District Attorney’s Office filed a 10-count criminal complaint.
The county changes includes two counts of attempted murder, explosion with intent to murder, use of an explosive/destruction device, use of an explosive devise to cause great bodily injury, and three counts of arson.
The complaint also alleges carrying a loaded firearm on his person or in his vehicle. He also faces special allegations for sentencing enhancements.
While California law prevents a defendant from facing the same charges in federal and state courts for a crime, the same set of facts could result in different charges. For instance, the federal case didn’t include attempted murder charges, while Santa Barbara County case does.
“If there is a plea or conviction to the federal charges we will assess the sentence and decide whether to pursue the state charges,” District Attorney John Savrnoch said. “Given the warrant status on the state charges at the time of the defendant’s federal indictment, we feel we would be able to secure the defendant’s presence if state charges are pursued.
“As always we will look at all of the factors before making a final decision,” he added.
A third case involved an infraction from Aug. 8, 2024, when McGuire received a citation for speeding over 65 mph limit and lacking evidence of current registration for his vehicle.
Due to a lag time between when tickets are issued and when they pop up into the court files, the citation case was filed Oct. 11, when he was in custody facing charges for the bombing incident. The courtesy notice was mailed days later but returned by the Postal Service. In January 2025, the case was referred to a debt collector.
McGuire is being held in federal custody.
