Texas man pleads guilty in RNC case

One of the two Texas men accused of trying to disrupt the Republican National Convention with homemade explosives pleaded guilty today to one of three federal charges.

Bradley Crowder pleaded guilty to possessing an unregistered firearm in exchange for the government dropping two other counts. Crowder will be held in custody at least until his sentencing in about two to three months.

The other Texan charged in the case, David McKay, is scheduled go on trial Jan. 26. Unrelated to Crowder's plea deal, Chief Judge Michael Davis overturned a magistrate's ruling to suppress evidence of makeshift shields found in a U-Haul trailer because St. Paul police didn't have a warrant. Davis ruled that Crowder and McKay did not have the right to challenge the U-Haul search because neither of the men owned, rented or had control of the trailer.

Jeff DeGree is McKay's attorney. He said he doesn't believe Crowder's plea will affect McKay's case because the evidence against the two men is different.

The convention was at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Sept. 1-4.

(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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