Judge: Teen’s risk to the community keeps him behind bars
A federal magistrate Wednesday ordered an 18-year-old man who claimed to be the leader of a small militia to remain behind bars while he fights felony firearms and explosive charges.
U.S. Magistrate Judge George Foley Jr. said Steven Matthew Fernandes posed a "substantial risk of danger to the community."
"It's anyone's guess, I suppose, how imminent that threat was," Foley said from the bench. But, he had "made serious threats to the community."
During a Sept. 13 raid, FBI agents assigned to the Southern Nevada Joint Terrorism Task Force found explosive and bomb-making materials and devices in Fernandes' bedroom, with a copy of "The Anarchist's Cookbook," according to court documents.
The book explains how to manufacture explosives.
Agents also found a 12-gauge shotgun loaded with 10 rounds of ammunition and more than 44 more rounds of ammunition in his two-door Saturn coupe.
Authorities found an additional five rifles, four handguns and thousands of rounds of ammunition in his home.
Fernandes, who lives in Las Vegas with his mother and two younger sisters, made "disturbing statements" to confidential FBI sources about this summer's Aurora, Colo., mass shooting and possible acts of domestic terrorism, federal prosecutors said in court papers last week seeking his detention.
He talked about the Aurora shootings, which killed 12 people and injured 58 others, and bragged, "I'll beat that record," the prosecutors said.
Defense lawyer Crystal Eller told Foley that Fernandes, until his arrest, was regarded as a "very responsible and grounded teenager" who was scheduled to ship out with the U.S. Marines two days before his arrest.
"This is someone who sees himself as a fighter for this country, not a terrorist," Eller said.
In their court papers, prosecutors said a confidential FBI source provided an email from Fernandes in which he described himself as the commanding officer of the 327th Nevada Militia, an urban survivalist unit with six or seven members.
Fernandes pleaded not guilty last week to one count each of possession of unregistered firearms, making firearms in violation of the National Firearms Act and transporting explosive materials.
He faces a Dec. 3 trial before U.S. District Judge James Mahan.
Contact Jeff German at jgerman@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-8135.
