A Virginia man arrested this weekend after falsely claiming to have a bomb in his car outside a White House security checkpoint believed he had been telepathically summoned for a meeting with President Trump and that the cargo he was carrying was an asteroid, according to court documents.
Sean Patrick Keoughan, 29, of Roanoke, pulled up to the White House checkpoint Saturday night and was arrested after telling security officials “there’s a bomb in the trunk,” according to an affidavit by a Secret Service agent. Mr. Keoughan later told investigators: “This is a test.”
Under questioning from law enforcement about whether he had a bomb in his car, Mr. Keoughan told authorities “that he had a very large, heavy bag in the trunk of his car with an asteroid in it,” according to the affidavit.
The court documents do not indicate what items, if any, were located inside the vehicle.
Mr. Keoughan also told authorities that Mr. Trump speaks to him telepathically and had told him to tell officers that there was a bomb in his car.
“According to Keoughan, the communication occurs through a process called ’Think Talk,’ which is a process that occurs in his mind and allows him to communicate with high-level officials such as President Trump, the Secret Service, and Delta Force,” wrote Secret Service Agent Jason Verdejo in the sworn affidavit. “Keoughan told agents that the asteroid was made of the heaviest metal known to man, and he stated that he obtained it from his father through a ’wormhole.’”
Authorities charged Mr. Keoughan with making a false bomb threat and unauthorized use of a vehicle.
During Mr. Keoughan’s first appearance in U.S. District Court for the District on Monday, a judge ordered him to undergo a mental competency exam and to remain in custody pending a hearing Thursday.
The night of his arrest, Mr. Keoughan approached the checkpoint twice, initially at 10 p.m., when he told security he had an appointment with the president.
After security was unable to find any authorization or record of any meeting, Mr. Keoughan drove away. He returned an hour later, when he made the statement about having a bomb, according to the court documents.
While being questioned by law enforcement, Mr. Keoughan also admitted to previous drug use, suicide attempts and psychiatric care, according to the affidavit. But he denied that his actions were part of a plot to harm anyone and said he is a “peaceful hippie” who does not own weapons.
He faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison if convicted.
Mr. Keoughan’s arrest was the second at the White House for security-related threats on Saturday. William Bryant Rawlinson, 58, of Silver Spring, Maryland, was arrested on a charge of unlawful entry after jumping a metal barrier just outside a White House fence.
Mr. Trump was not at the White House at the time of either incident.
• Andrea Noble can be reached at anoble@washingtontimes.com.
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