DC pipe bomb suspect must remain in jail before trial, judge rules
A federal magistrate has decided that the individual charged with placing pipe bombs near the Democratic and Republican headquarters the night prior to the 6 January Capitol riot must stay in custody as he awaits trial. In a memorandum opinion, the court found that Brian Cole Jr, 30, from Woodbridge, Virginia, “presents an unacceptable risk of danger to the community if released,” thereby approving the government’s request for pretrial detention. The judge noted that “there are no release conditions that could be imposed to adequately ensure the safety of the community,” despite defense claims that Cole could be monitored at home using GPS technology. Cole faces two federal counts related to accusations that he manufactured, transported, and attempted to detonate two improvised explosive devices near party headquarters in Washington on the evening of 5 January 2021. Fortunately, neither device detonated, and Capitol police managed to safely disable both, although identifying the person responsible has proven challenging since. The charges – transporting explosive devices across state lines with intent to cause harm and malicious attempted destruction using explosives – come with severe consequences, with the latter potentially resulting in a 20-year imprisonment. Cole’s defense lawyers contended that their client is on the autism spectrum and has “no criminal history” and “no indication he would flee” in a recent court submission. Authorities apprehended Cole on 4 December, almost five years following the attempted bombing. During searches conducted at his Woodbridge residence, law enforcement allegedly found numerous bomb-making materials in a closet, such as metal pipes, end caps, and wires similar to those used in the 2021 devices. Court documents reveal that Cole’s mobile phone connected with five cell towers around both party headquarters during the time the devices were planted. A license plate recognition system further recorded his vehicle exiting Interstate 395 in that vicinity around 7:10 PM that night. Reports indicate that Cole’s financial records show he bought nearly all the materials used to create the bombs from retail shops in northern Virginia throughout 2019 and 2020. Prosecutors also pointed out that he continued acquiring similar items into August 2022, subsequent to the attempted attack. In a video interview after his arrest, Cole initially denied his involvement but later acknowledged he was the person seen in the surveillance footage, according to documents from the Justice Department. After agents reminded him that providing false statements would result in an additional charge and inquired again if he was the individual in the footage, Cole “paused for about 15 seconds, put his head down on the table, and replied, ‘yes’,” according to court records. Cole reportedly informed investigators that he went to Washington to protest the outcome of the 2020 election and intended to act against the parties because “they were in charge.” When questioned about why he targeted both headquarters, he responded: “I really don’t like either party at this point.”
Published: 2026-01-02 19:12:00
source: www.theguardian.com
