BETHESDA, Md. - A Bethesda teen accused of stockpiling items that could be used to make explosive devices at his home has been indicted on federal charges.

Investigators say 18-year-old Colin McKenzie-Gude, of Bethesda, has been charged with possession of an unregistered explosive device an production of false identification documents. The criminal complaint was filed Thursday.

Federal authorities have been involved from the start and now they're taking over the case. On Friday, McKenzie-Gude was transferred to federal custody.

Montgomery state's attorney John McCarthy says there are a number of reasons.

"The penalties are different, they have different resources available to investigate the case," he said.

McCarthy will continue to prosecute a charge that as police searched his home in July, McKenzie-Gude beat a 78-year old man and attempted to steal his car. In court Friday, a judge denied a lawyer's request to reduce the 18-year old's $750,000 bond even though his high school religion teacher called him the ideal student.

McKenzie-Gude's lawyer says prosecutors should instead be focusing on a young friend of his client's who actually tipped off police to the bomb supplies. "I think somebody has to ask the other young gentlemen about those items. It's my understanding that those other items were purchased by the other young gentleman with his mother's credit card," said Steven Kupferburg.

In July, Montgomery County (web|news) Police and the Maryland Fire Marshal's office searched McKenzie-Gude's parents' home and seized five illegally possessed assault rifles, a handgun and ammunition. Authorities also found a list of addresses of teachers at the St. John's College High School from which he recently graduated.