Two men have been charged with federal crimes after authorities say they found a pipe bomb inside their vehicle in St. Paul’s Payne-Phalen neighborhood last weekend.

Prosecutors charged Frederic Pittman III, 38, of Roseville, and Monttraill Lamar Claiborne, 40, of St. Louis, with aiding and abetting the unlawful possession of an explosive device, according to the criminal complaint filed against them in federal court. Claiborne also was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Both made their initial court appearances on the charges earlier this week in U.S. District Court in St. Paul.

The charges come after police responded to a gas station at East Seventh Street and Johnson Parkway on an early Saturday morning report that a woman had been threatened by a man with a handgun. When officers arrived at the scene, the man had fled, but police got a description of his vehicle.

A short time later, officers located the vehicle in the vicinity of Maryland Avenue and Lane Place.

Pittman and Claiborne were inside, along with two handguns. The pipe bomb was discovered inside a duffel bag in the trunk, authorities say.

The bomb squad responded and homes in the immediate area were evacuated. The scene was eventually cleared without incident.

Pittman and Claiborne were arrested at the scene. The incident took place at about 5 a.m.

When later interviewed by investigators, both men acknowledged being involved in a verbal altercation with a woman at a gas station but denied that a gun was involved, the complaints said. They also said they had no knowledge of the pipe bomb found inside their vehicle, which was a rental.