A Minnesota man accumulated numerous and varied firearms that included homemade guns, according to charges that also allege he spoke about blowing up government buildings and a house of worship.
Jonathan Julio Nique, 22, of Austin was charged in Mower County District Court with eight counts of possessing guns without a serial number in connection with the stockpile seized by police from his home’s garage in the 800 block of 14th Avenue SE. on May 28.
Nique was arrested that day on a separate felony allegation, posted bond last week and is due back in court on July 17. His attorney on Monday declined to comment about the allegations.
The charges cited two roommates, who moved out late last month, telling police they heard Nique say “unhinged things,” including how easy it is to build a pipe bomb. When asked what Nique would “hypothetically” blow up, he listed the Mayo Clinic’s Gonda Building and the Olmsted County Government Center in Rochester, the State Capitol in St. Paul and a synagogue.
The roommates added that Nique has white-nationalist views and has “gone into detail about what he would do to Jewish people,” the criminal complaint read.
“[Nique] is anti-law enforcement and has said multiple times that he is not afraid to shoot police if he is pulled over and run,” the complaint continued. “[He] talks about ... if cops come to his house, the whole neighborhood is in danger.”
On May 28, police searched his residence and vehicles. According to the complaint and a related court document:
Police seized eight guns without serial numbers, otherwise known as “ghost guns.” Some were made with a 3D printer.
