Matthew David Lahtonen, 19, is charged in district court in Minot with two Class C felony counts of possession of Tannerite, a brand of binary explosive targets used for firearms practice and sold in kit form. Tannerite is illegal in North Dakota.

“I’ve never made any threats to anybody,” Lahtonen told Judge Todd Cresap during his initial appearance on Friday. “I want to cause no harm to nobody. I blow up microwaves, not people. I go out into the middle of nowhere and shoot microwaves.”

According to the probable cause affidavit filed with the court, Minot police received a complaint that Lahtonen had made threats to use bombs on people and had explosives at his residence in Minot. Police searched the residence and found a Coke bottle that contained Tannerite combined with nuts and bolts. The person who filed the complaint also told police he thought Lahtonen had another bottle in his possession and might be carrying a rifle. Lahtonen was located and detained. He allegedly admitted to having a bottle of Tannerite that had been mixed and said he intened to take it to the gun range to shoot it. He had other Tannerite at home but said he only shot it at the range near Glenburn. Lahtonen had allegedly threatened to use the Tannerite on a vehicle belonging to someone with whom he had been involved in a conflict.

Judge Todd Cresap set bond at $2,500 cash or corporate surety and set a preliminary hearing for Jan. 7.