By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
A man who authorities said kept an arsenal of weaponry and military gear pleaded not guilty Wednesday to threatening to assassinate both President George W. Bush and Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama.
The court-appointed attorney for 22-year-old Raymond Hunter Geisel entered the plea at a brief hearing before a federal magistrate judge. Geisel, who has been in custody without bail since his Aug. 2 arrest, spoke only his name and age.
Geisel had previously been charged for threatening to kill Obama. The new charge of making a threat against Bush was added in a grand jury indictment made public Wednesday. Each charge carries a maximum of five years in federal prison.
According to the Secret Service, Geisel made the threats while attending a training class in Miami to become a bail bondsman. Others attending the 48-member class overheard the comments and contacted local police, who turned the information over to the Secret Service.