Justice Department · Tuesday, September 15, 2026
California man pleads guilty to bombing Santa Maria courthouse
The File desk · Sep 15, 2026, 2:10 PM UTC
Status
Confirmed from a Justice Department Office of Public Affairs release dated Sept. 14, 2026.
A Santa Barbara County man pleaded guilty Monday to bombing a California courthouse. The Justice Department said Nathaniel James McGuire, 22, of Santa Maria, pleaded guilty to one count of use of a weapon of mass destruction and one count of malicious destruction of a building using an explosive. According to his plea agreement, on Sept. 24, 2024, he threw a backpack with a bomb past security screening at the Santa Maria courthouse. The blast injured three people; five were hospitalized and released the same day. He admitted he meant to kill sheriff’s deputies, then left to get two long guns and 10 Molotov cocktails to go back after deputies and a judge before officers stopped him at his vehicle. The courthouse took about $35,000 in damage and closed for several days. He said the attack was retaliation after deputies seized his firearms earlier that year. Sentencing is set for March 1, 2027. The maximum penalty is life in prison. The FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force, Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, and Santa Maria Police are investigating.
A Santa Barbara County man pleaded guilty Monday to bombing a California courthouse.
The Justice Department said Nathaniel James McGuire, 22, of Santa Maria, pleaded guilty to one count of use of a weapon of mass destruction and one count of malicious destruction of a building using an explosive.
According to his plea agreement, on Sept. 24, 2024, he threw a backpack with a bomb past security screening at the Santa Maria courthouse.
The blast injured three people. Five people were hospitalized and released the same day.
He admitted he meant to kill sheriff’s deputies, then left to get two long guns and 10 Molotov cocktails to go back after deputies and a judge. Officers stopped him at his vehicle.
The courthouse took about $35,000 in damage and closed for several days.
He said the attack was retaliation after deputies seized his firearms earlier that year.
Sentencing is set for March 1, 2027. The maximum penalty is life in prison.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation Joint Terrorism Task Force, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, and Santa Maria Police are investigating.
What is still unknown or disputed
- Any parallel state charges or civil claims are not updated in this federal release.
Primary sources
Every claim in this story is drawn from the documents below. If a fetch failed, that is recorded on the card.
Source 1
California Man Pleads Guilty to Bombing Santa Barbara County Courthouse in Retaliation for Law Enforcement Seizing His Firearms
U.S. Department of Justice · September 14, 2026
Nathaniel James McGuire, 22, pleaded guilty to use of a weapon of mass destruction and malicious destruction of a building using an explosive; Sept. 24, 2024 Santa Maria courthouse bombing; sentencing March 1, 2027; max life.
https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/california-man-pleads-guilty-bombing-santa-barbara-county-courthouse-retaliation-law